A strict vegetarian diet that has been followed over multiple generations has been shown to produce a mutation for the first time. The mutation can be beneficial in some respects but can produce disease depending n the diet of a given individual who inherited the mutation. Dr. Tom Brenna, Dr. Kumar Kothapalli, and Dr. Alon Keinan of Cornell University reported the discovery.
The mutation is called rs66698963. The mutation involves an insertion or deletion of a sequence of DNA that regulates the expression of two genes, FADS1 and FADS2. The two genes are essential in making polyunsaturated fats. Some of these fats are targets for new pharmaceuticals that treat colon cancer and heart disease. The idea is that treatment should depend on the number of insertions into the two genes that occur in a given individual that has the mutation.
The benefits of the mutation are more efficient synthesis of arachidonic acid as well as omega-3 EPA and DHA. The mutation remains beneficial as long as the plant source of the building blocks for the essential metabolites remains constant. Changes in a food source can prevent the proper development of polyunsaturated fat and produce higher rates of colon cancer and heart disease.
The researchers compared the genome of people in India, South America, Africa, Europe, and China that have eaten a vegetarian diet for generations. The mutation is consistent across all races that were examined. The mutation was found to be very detrimental if people changed from a vegetarian diet to a diet that favored high levels of fish or meat.
