There’s been plenty of ink spilled on the virtues of oriental eating habits when compared to western dietary habits. Recently, Time Magazine raised the question, “Can Eating Fruits and Veggies Outwit Bad Heart Genes?” Tofu, leafy vegetables, low sugar and soy sauce have the presumed upper hand over meat, eggs, fried and salty dishes and dessert. Now a newly published study led by Canadian researchers has arrived at an unequivocal conclusion: inherited risk of heart disease “appears to be modified by a prudent diet high in raw vegetables and fruits.”
The scientists surveyed tens of thousands of people with a genetic disposition toward heart disease in 52 countries and grouped them into three diet groups: western, oriental and prudent, which featured a large intake of raw fruits and vegetables. They concluded that those who practiced a prudent diet were able to counteract the effects of their genetic heart risk factors. The oriental diet did not perform a similar feat for the subjects under study. Those of you abroad with a family history of heart disease can take some comfort in a scientifically-grounded dietary strategy: the French call it “crudite”.
Photo by tiexano.
