They found some people - including a large percentage of mainly vegetarian Indians - have a genetic variation that lets them "efficiently process omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and convert them into compounds essential for early brain development and controlling inflammation".
That also means that when these populations change their traditional vegetarian diet - as happens when they adopt a more Western, processed diet - it can make them especially vulnerable to inflammation, which can cause diseases.
This may offer a theory as to why Indians seem particularly prone to type2 diabetes. A more accurate and far less sensational headline for this study is by the Washington Post : "Cornell study finds some people may be genetically programmed to be vegetarians".
So what do we know about vegetarian diets? A well-balanced vegetarian diet can be exceptionally healthy.
The longest-lived and healthiest people on the planet eat plant-based diets, some including small amounts of animal protein, some not. And it is just as possible to eat an unhealthy vegetarian diet as it is a healthy one.
Dr David Katz, always a voice of sense amid the silliness, described this study in his blog: "The current study looked only at gene frequencies. Not heart disease, not cancer, not death. Despite the insane headlines, the study had nothing to do with death, or disease. It was a study of gene patterns.
"We already know that good vegetarian diets prevent disease, even reverse it, and are in the mix with the most health-promoting dietary options on the planet.
"We know they are good for the planet as well. All of that is established. Designing a study to challenge that would be like conducting a study to see if maybe the Earth is still flat after all."
Bottom line here: ignore the headlines and eat your veges.
Niki Bezzant is editor in chief of Healthy Food Guide.
