How Genes and Lifestyle Change Our Metabolism

Did you know that our genes can affect how our bodies respond to lifestyle changes? Scientists studied people with prediabetes in Mexico and found that those with a specific gene variant had different metabolism changes after a 24-week lifestyle intervention. Before the intervention, these people had higher levels of certain substances like hippurate and glycine. After the intervention, they had even more of these substances, along with others like xanthosine and N-acetylputrescine. They also had less of some helpful substances like citrulline and phosphatidylethanolamine.These changes were linked to higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Interestingly, two substances, methylmalonylcarnitine and betaine, were particularly affected by the lifestyle changes. The study also found that eating less polyunsaturated fatty acids was linked to higher levels of methylmalonylcarnitine. This shows that genes and diet can work together to influence our metabolism.