A new study highlights the important role that genetics play when considering a vegetarian diet. University of Georgia.
Published in PLoS GeneticsThe study will investigate how genetic variation influences an individual’s response to nutrients and potential diet-related diseases.
The rise of vegetarians
“Vegetarianism is a broad term that encompasses a range of animal-restricted diets, typically referring to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet that permits plant-based foods, dairy products, and eggs and excludes meat, fish, and seafood,” the study authors write.
“Estimates suggest that adherence to plant-based diets has increased in Western countries over the past decade.”
“The motivation is driven by several factors, including health benefits, taste preferences, ethical concerns about animal slaughter and factory farming, environmental concerns about pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and perceived moral credentials.”
“It is now common for nutrition experts to recommend vegetarianism to the general public. All at once.”
Potential Health Benefits
For many people, a vegetarian diet cholesterol It also reduces the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
But for others, this diet can be problematic, leading to low vitamin D levels and high triglyceride levels, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Rather than one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations, we are building the scientific foundation for personalized nutrition that optimizes human health at the individual level,” said Michael Francis, a bioinformatics expert at the University of Georgia and lead author of the paper.
Genetics and Ancestry
The research team analyzed data from more than 150,000 participants and identified 2,300 strict vegetarians to assess genetic influences on health outcomes.
“Heredity and ancestry are known to play important roles in metabolic processes (i.e., nutrigenomics) and therefore may influence both eating behavior and the impact of diet on disease risk,” the researchers noted.
“With regard to behavior, genetic components have previously been linked to plant-eating preferences, and specific genetic variants are significantly associated with quantitative measures of plant-eating.”
“To clarify how the health effects of vegetarianism are conditioned by an individual’s genetic background, we considered gene-environment interactions (G × E), which may produce synergistic (non-additive) effects on health outcomes that cannot be achieved by genetic or environmental factors alone.”
Genetic influences on health outcomes
Studies have found that most vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels across all measures, which is beneficial for heart health.
But vegetarians too Vitamin D These findings are consistent with previous findings from diet The importance of considering influences and genetic factors.
By including a genetic component in their analysis, the researchers found that certain gene variations, or minor alleles, influence health outcomes.
Vegetarians and Genetic Mutations
One gene variant linked to calcium metabolism results in elevated calcium levels in vegetarians who carry this allele, which may be beneficial for bone and dental health, but also for kidney stones and Cardiovascular problems.
Another genetic mutation affects hormone levels, and although vegetarians tend to have less testosterone, some vegetarians have experienced an increase in testosterone.
Additionally, mutations associated with kidney function altered the impact of vegetarianism on kidney filtration rate.
“Individuals with specific nutritional needs associated with these three traits should consider getting tested for the variants described in this paper and making modifications accordingly,” Francis said.
This study will support future nutrigenomic studies and clinical trials and help us better understand the effects of diet on diverse populations.
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