The goal is to determine the genetic underpinning of coronary heart disease in these families. Another reason the Center for Human Nutrition is interested in genetics is because of the strong interaction between nutrition and genetics. For example, different foods can modify gene expression and genetic integrity. Some foods, like antioxidants, can protect genes from being damaged, which can induce misspelled words in the genome and cause cancer. Other foods can damage genes.
Genes also can affect our response to foods.
Some are responsible for detoxifying dangerous substances in food. In the Center for Human Nutrition, we hope to identify specific gene patterns that cause nutrition-related diseases, that aggravate nutritional diseases, that increase the risk of chronic diseases and that may be targets for drug therapy.