Posted on 11/01/2002 8:51:55 PM PST by blam
Study suggests link between health and grandfathers' food supply
Academics have found out that our predecessors' diets can influence our health.
The findings come from research carried out at Sweden's University of Umeå.
The scientist collected health histories of 300 people born at the turn of the last century.
For their study they compared the data with crop records showing how plentiful supplies were when they reached puberty.
They found that grandchildren of well-fed grandfathers were four times more likely to die from diabetes.
The children of teenage famine-sufferers were less likely to die from heart disease.
Scientists insist the findings should be taken seriously, despite the research's apparent similarity to discredited evolutionary theories of the past.
Geneticist Marcus Pembrey of the Institute of Child Health in London told Nature that while diet would not change genetic code, it could change the activity of genes in sperm.
He says the chemical stamps on DNA could be switched when sperm begins forming in puberty.
He believes particular genes could be produced to give offspring the best chance of survival.
Story filed: 16:27 Friday 1st November 2002
For example, I go out on my deck every morning and stomp my foot 3 times to keep the elephants out of my back yard. There have been no elephants in my back yard. Ergo, foot stomping keeps elephants away - I think not.
I'll have to give that a try. I'm sick and tired of their damned trumpeting at all hours, and the stench!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.