A New Relationship Between Diet and Your Genetics

So we know that carrying one or two copies of the APOE4 gene variant is a genetic marker for increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.  We also know that consuming the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) reduces your risk of developing the disease.  (I have been focusing on the MIND diet, which is a modified MedDiet.)  But is there an interplay between these two factors?  Maybe so.

According to a recently published study in Nature Medicine, it appears that the MedDiet is much more helpful for people carrying one or two copies of the APOE4 gene.  Recall that APOE4 is the variant of the APOE gene most associated with the development of Alzheimer's.  While some carriers never develop the disease, and some non-carriers do, it still elevates your risk.  There are at least 30 different genes that can contribute to your risk, but the APOE4 is the strongest marker.

But what did the researchers do, and what did they find?  Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, studied the serum metabolites in thousands of subjects and compared these to their genetic markers and to their disease status.  

But what's a serum metabolite?  These are the chemical compounds found in blood that are the result of the metabolism of various nutrients.  Obviously, the metabolites from a serving of kale will be different than those from a Snickers bar.  And so, they were able not only to determine who was actually following the MedDiet faithfully, but also to see who's disease status was most affected by their diet -- people with the APOE4 gene or those with the other two variants.  And for that matter, carriers of one or two copies.

As it turns out, persons with kale metabolites in their blood experience a greater benefit of resistance to Alzheimer's if they carry the APOE4 gene than if they didn't.  This also goes for the metabolites of other foods in the MedDiet.  Leafy greens containing some antioxidant carotenoids just stand out.  Note that carriers of the other variants still benefit from the MedDiet, but this population benefits the most.

So, a word to the wise.  If 23&Me tells you that you carry one or two copies of the APOE4 gene -- eat your greens!  (And if you don't ... well, eat them anyway.)

Here's an article of the study.