The ApoE Gene Diet -- A Handbook for Tailoring our Lifestyle to our Genes

In "The ApoE Gene Diet," Pamela McDonald, FA, WHCNP, PNP, FNP, provides valuable information about how the ApoE gene interacts with our diet and environment to affect our risk of developing Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases. Whether or not you decide to undergo ApoE genetic testing, many of her recommendations can help you live a healthier, longer life.

McDonald says we have a choice about whether our future health will involve a backpack or a bedpan. In other words, she feels that there's a lot we can do to prevent Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses, even when our genes are working against us.

In "The ApoE Gene Diet," McDonald explains that we each carry one of six combinations of the ApoE gene: 2/2, 2/3, 3/3, 4/2, 4/3, or 4/4. Which combination we carry affects how our body processes food and reacts to the environment, she says, creating unique risk profiles for different diseases.

Here's what I found most startling in the book: Only 5% of the population has the ApoE 4/4 combination, but those who do have a 90% chance of developing Alzheimer's if they don't engage in a "gene-supportive" lifestyle. Only 20% of us have ApoE 4/3 or 4/2, but those who do have a 49% chance of developing the disease without a gene-supportive lifestyle.

A gene-supportive lifestyle is a combination of smart choices about diet, exercise, stress management, and other factors. McDonald points out that there are people with ApoE 4/4 who don't develop Alzheimer's; there are also people with less risky ApoE combinations who do get Alzheimer's. Clearly, both genes and environment are at play.

Genetic testing isn't for everyone, and McDonald doesn't try to convince everyone to do it. She provides risk reduction tips that anyone can employ. She also shares specific diets for each ApoE combination for those who do get tested, cautioning that these should only be followed by those who know their ApoE status.

I was impressed with this book. It doesn't focus solely on Alzheimer's, but it can't hurt to learn about other ApoE-related diseases. McDonald hits upon what may be a major focus of medicine in the future -- tailoring our lifestyles to our bodies' own genes.