Genetics and Health

The Effect of Holiday Food on DNA

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on December 19th, 2005

What and how much have you eaten so far this holiday season? If Dr David Topping, a senior research scientist with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is right, my DNA must be fried from all the turkey and stuffing I ate.

Here’s what Dr. Topping says the most common holiday foods will do to your DNA:

• An overabundance of food has been linked to DNA damage and diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
• Over-nutrition leads to the production of molecular oxygen species that can lead to damage of the DNA.
• Turkey and ham are both high in dietary protein, which has also been associated with genetic damage to the cells that line the large bowel,” he says.
• Add resistant starch, found in beans and potatoes, can increase the amount of protective compounds in the gut which will reduce the damage.
• Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can modify DNA transcription and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and possibly even improve brain function.
• Alcohol is known to alter proteins and possibly DNA through a passive mechanism where you get the ethanol combining with proteins.
• Christmas pudding contains fruit, and is often coupled with fruits like berries, which are a good source of folate. Folate affects the length of telomeres, or tails of chromosomes, which has also been linked to cancer risk.

Bon appetit!

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POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health