Research has shown that it is possible to favorably modify a gene with a strong link to heart disease simply by eating a diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables. Joint principal investigator of the study Dr. Jamie Engert, a researcher in cardiovascular diseases at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and associate member in the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University, and colleagues investigated the effect of diet on the 9p21 gene – the strongest genetic marker for heart disease – in more than 27,000 people. Results showed that that participants with the high risk genotype who consumed a diet composed mainly of raw vegetables, fruits and berries, had a similar risk of heart attack to those with the low risk genotype. "We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables," said Sonia Anand, joint principal investigator of the study, and a researcher at the Population Health Research Institute and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. "Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health."