Long term vegetarianism can lead to genetic mutations which raise the risk of cancer and heart disease in Indians, according to a study by Cornell University researchers.
The gene identified by scientists assists those who eat plant-based diets to process omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids into compounds that help the development of the brain and control inflammation in the body.
The gene could cause a spike in the production of arachidonic acid, which makes the body susceptible to inflammation and has been linked to cancer and heart disease.
If a person with the gene has a diet high in certain vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, as the body will metabolize the fatty acids into arachidonic acid quickly.
The discovery provides the first evolutionary work that traces a higher frequency of a particular mutation to a mainly vegetarian population from Pune (about 70 percent), when compared to a meat-eating American population, made up of mostly Kansans (less than 20 percvent).
By using reference data from 1000 Genomes Project, the researchers provided evidence that the vegetarian diet, over many generations, might have driven the higher frequency of a mutation in the Indian population.
The mutation, called rs66698963 and found in FADS2 gene, is a deletion or insertion of a sequence of DNA that regulates the expression of two genes, FADS1 and FADS2.
The researchers said that insertion mutation might be favored in populations subsisting mainly on veg diets and possibly populations having limited access to diets rich in polyunsaturated fats.