Sausage or Fresh Fruit? It May Not Matter at All to Your Genes

Wall Street Journal ^ | August 23, 2002 | Sharon Begley

[SamAdams76]

The research of Jose Ordovas is driven by a simple observation: Only some of us take prescription drugs; everyone eats.

Research in "pharmacogenomics" has shown that the reason the same drug helps some patients, has no effect on others and kills an unlucky few reflects not blind chance but individual genetic differences.

[dalereed]

People with common sense and the ability to reason have always known this.

[TADSLOS]

That does it. I'm downing a pound of Jimmy Dean pork sausage with biscuits and gravy in the morning and washing it down with a hot cup o' joe.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Bump for further perrusal . . .

[MonroeDNA]

I had a life scan, at 40.

Go double cheeseburgers! Mayo, cheese, raw meat.

No sign of anything.

UK background.

[billorites]

"I'm downing a pound of Jimmy Dean pork sausage with biscuits and gravy in the morning"

My doctor says that I'm not eating enough pork.

[Conservababe]

what, no fried eggs, too?

[yooper]

"Also genomically naive is the advice to limit sodium. Only 15% of the population has sodium-sensitive hypertension; for everyone else, cutting sodium has almost no effect on high blood pressure..."

This is true. My old man eats so much salt he had a couple of deer following him around his yard the other night. Seriously, he salts just about everything he eats, including apples and watermelon, and his BP has always been great. I was exposed to so much salt as a chil that I put it on nothing now.

Good find; a fascinating article.....

[RipSawyer]

No grits?

[Sungirl]

That does it. I'm downing a pound of Jimmy Dean pork sausage with biscuits and gravy in the morning and washing it down with a hot cup o' joe.

OMG...how long before you can move from the table?

[F.J. Mitchell]

Jeans used to just cover our hinies, now it seems that genes cover every subject on earth. THink I'll enjoy sausage in moderation and tolorate oatmeal the same way-moderation in all things will probably be the final answer, just like the Bible recommends.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Are you a patient of Dr. Atkins?

[goodieD]

As I've been saying.. my health concious, excercising, low stress cousin dies at 36 of liver cancer, while my cigar chomping, whisky drinking, lard eating grampa dies at 90. It's all a roll of the dice. My husband just about bought the farm at 27 due to a stupid driver... Screw it, I'm going out happy.

[SamAdams76]

It's all a roll of the dice. My husband just about bought the farm at 27 due to a stupid driver... Screw it, I'm going out happy.

I'm with you. Most people I know who are on diets, on the wagon, are vegetarian, etc., are miserable. Just not worth it. Thankfully I discovered around age 30 the wisdom to just stop worrying about all those things and LIVE LIFE to the fullest. I am now approaching 40 and if the next 10 years is as good as the last 10, I'll die happy.

[Steve Eisenberg]

One person can live on marbled beef and butter with no ill effects. Another gets a coronary.

Those of us who accept evolution know that any large group of humans who were subject to earlier death than other groups, when eating an overwhelmingly meat diet, would have died out. The cause of most diseases is unknown, so people make up these diet and health linkages based on weak evidence and conjecture. Heart disease rose substantially from 1900 to 1960 and has declined since. Why? Who knows? Maybe it has to do with some infectious agent, but that is speculation, just like the "you are what you eat" theories.

[sinkspur]

Heart disease rose substantially from 1900 to 1960 and has declined since.

Where in the world are you getting this? Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men, and women, today.

[dagny taggert]

I recently underwent a diagnostic procedure (which turned out fine, thank you very much) that required monitoring of blood pressure, among other things. The attending nurse told me as I came out of anesthesia that I have "the blood pressure of a teenager". If only I could borrow her hips... :-)

[serinde]

Seriously, he salts just about everything he eats, including apples and watermelon

LOL. I grew up putting salt on both these items. But when I did it at college you should have heard the outrage! I thought a couple of my fellow students were going to have heart attacks, they were so upset. Geez!

[RJayneJ]

What time are you serving? That's my dream breakfast.

[jennyp]

Dr. Abramson founded AlphaGenics in 1999 on that premise. For about $1,000, the Washington, D.C., company plans to offer genetic profiles, based on about 300 genes that predict how an individual will respond to a particular diet.

Standard medical testing is a long way off. But if a pilot test goes well this fall, AlphaGenics hopes to tell you whether choosing oatmeal over sausage will actually make a difference to your health.

Finally! (Hmmm... $1000? Would I spring for it at that price? Maybe...)