Long-term vegans at risk of cancer, heart diseases due to gene mutation

If consuming processed meat has been linked to cancer, a new study warns that being vegan long-term also raises the risk of cancer and heart ailments. The explanation lies in populations known for a primarily vegetarian diet are likely to carry DNA that makes them susceptible to inflammation.

Cornell University researchers found that when they compared genomes of a population in Pune, India, which eats mainly veggies,and one in Kansas which eats mostly meat. Tom Brenna, professor of human nutrition at Cornell, says the Indians have higher chances of carrying genes which rapidly metabolise plant fatty acids.

People with those genes convert vegetable oils to arachidonic acid which is more pro-inflammatory, boosting their risk for chronic inflammation implicated in the development of cardiovascular ailments and exacerbated by cancer. Brenna discloses that the mutation appeared in the human genome a long time ago and was passed down through generations, reports The Telegraph.

The study, published in Molecular Biology and Evolution journal, found that 70 percent of the vegan population in India had the mutation rs66698963. In contrast, less than 20 percent of the meat-eating population in Kansas carry the mutation, reports the American Council on Science and Health.

In turn, the mutation prevents the production of Omega 3 fatty acids which protects the body from heart disease. Brenna adds that due to the major change in diets away from Omega 3, which is found in fish and nuts, to Omega 6 fats, found in vegetable oils, contribute to the hike in chronic diseases in developing nations. He advises vegans to use vegetable oils low in omega-6 linoleic acid such as olive oil.

Dr David Cutler, associate professor at Emory University’s Department of Human Genetics, explains that certain types of fats, such as the long chain polyunsatured fatty acids (LCPUFA) are essential for human life. It could be eaten or manufactured by the human body.

“People who regularly eat meat generally get enough LCPUFA to live healthy lives. People who eat little meat must make LCPUFA from other building blocks,” points out Cutler.

Besides the risk of heart ailments and cancer, vegans also could have fertility problems resulting in lower sperm counts, according to another study by scientists at Harvard University. The study attributes the lower sperm count to high quantities of pesticides consumed by people who have a diet rich in fruit and veggies.

Another study says that vegans have five percent lower bone-mineral density because most of them do not get enough protein, iron, vitamins D, vitamin B12 and calcium.