Chinese study finds link between genes, diet and skin conditions
- Among findings is a link between genetically predicted intake of meat and coffee and a higher risk of skin cancer and ageing-related symptoms
The researchers – from Lanzhou University in Gansu province – performed a Mendelian randomisation, or MR, study to examine the relationship between diet and skin conditions. MR analysis uses genetic variants to study potential causal relationships between an exposure and an outcome.
“Our study results indicate causal relationships between genetically predicted intake of oily fish, tea, salad/raw vegetables, coffee, pork, beef, champagne plus white wine and bread, and skin conditions,” the authors wrote in the peer-reviewed journal Archives of Dermatological Research last month.
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They also found genetically influenced intake of oily fish to be associated with a lower risk of skin ageing, while genetically influenced consumption of tea was associated with a lower risk of skin pigmentation.