You Docs: You can overcome bad heart genes simply by eating right

Syndicated columns By Syndicated columns The Oregonian
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on October 24, 2011 at 5:00 AM

How often have you said to someone, "You've got great hair," and had him or her grin back, "Lucky genes!" But what if that person -- or you -- also got some unlucky genes? Most of us inherited grandma's arthritis or dad's bald spot or mom's iffy ticker. But listen up: You have more control over your genes than you think.

There's some terrific new evidence of this: Say there's heart disease all over your family. Feel like you're genetically doomed? Nope. In fact, prepare to say "boo" to those family-health ghosts. If you all share a common bad heart gene (9p21), loading your diet with fresh veggies and fruit -- smart anyway -- cuts your risk of the family heart attack so much that it's as if you didn't get the gene. Something in fresh produce, especially veggies, turns this genetic bully into a wimp.

Another example: You and your neighbor both have the gene. You're not a nutritional saint (dessert happens), but your diet is also stuffed with carrots and broccoli and spinach and berries and apples and avocados and artichokes. Your neighbor eats a typical American diet (meaty, sugary, salty, fatty). Your heart attack risk will plunge. Your neighbor's? It doubles.

We have seen way too much heart disease: Our first jobs were cardiac surgeon (Dr. Oz) and anesthesiologist (Dr. Mike). We'd love to never see a heart patient again. That's not so crazy. If every American stopped smoking, started walking, managed stress and zapped any 9p21 genes by eating a ton o' veggies, heart disease could go extinct. Make it happen in your house.
