White rice polished to a shine, a maida parotta slick with oil, vegetables cooked in coconut oil and an extra spoonful of ghee: familiar staples on many Indian plates could add up to a diet that works against healthy cholesterol levels, particularly when fruits, vegetables and fibre take a back seat.

Now, a study of 1,020 adults in Chennai suggests that for Indians genetically predisposed to high levels of bad cholesterol or LDL, the quality of their everyday diet could make a crucial difference in their blood markers. Those who ate a medium-or high-quality diet could completely offset the genetic risk of high LDL and total cholesterol. Those who ate poorly ended up being susceptible to higher levels of both.

The findings offer an important message for people who believe that high cholesterol is an inevitable consequence of their genes: inherited susceptibility need not be the whole story. “While genes can influence a person’s risk of metabolic disorders, dietary habits may modify how that risk manifests.…