More white rice and white flour are being consumed across India than in the past, alongside less fibre, fruit and vegetables. This may expose those with an undetected genetic risk to higher cholesterol levels.

Researchers at the University of Reading and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, in Chennai, India, found that a diet higher in white rice and flour and lower in fibre and vegetables was linked to increased blood cholesterol levels for people with certain genes.

The researchers looked at the genes and diets of just over 1000 adults in Chennai, a city in southern India. They found that people with genes linked to diabetes had higher cholesterol levels if they ate the least fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils.

It is the first study to investigate how genes and diet intersect when it comes to cholesterol levels in people of Indian heritage.

Although the study shows a link between diet and genes, it cannot prove causation. The researchers say more studies are needed to determine whether implementing a diet with more vegetables and pulses can reduce cholesterol in people who carry the genes.