Raw Fruit and Vegetable Diet Reduces Genetic Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

A recent paper revealed that a genetic trait that increases risk of developing cardiovascular disease could be mitigated by a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables.

Investigators at McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada) together with colleagues at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) examined the effect of diet on the action of the chromosome 9p21 region of the human genome. Mutations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this region have been linked to risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The investigators genotyped four 9p21 SNPs in 8,114 individuals of European, South Asian, Chinese, Latin American, or Arab ethnicity who were participants in the global INTERHEART study. Results of the gene mapping study were correlated with the composition of the diets adhered to by the various subjects.

Results published in the October 11, 2011, online edition of the journal PLoS Medicine revealed that individuals carrying the genotype that promoted high risk for cardiovascular disease who consumed a prudent diet, composed mainly of raw vegetables, fruits and berries, had a similar risk of heart attack to those with the low risk genotype.

“We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables,” said senior author Dr. Sonia Anand, professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University. “Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health.”

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