A Stanford Medicine study produced a molecular portrait of 322 people from several continents. Result: our biology is shaped both by our origins and where we live.
Diet and lifestyle play a major role in our health, we often talk about it on this site. But we can wonder to what extent our biology is shaped by our genes and our origins, and to what extent it is shaped by our environment. To find out, a team from Stanford Medicine compared individuals from several origins living on different continents, in order to distinguish what is genetic from what is where they live.
The molecular portrait of 322 people
The researchers analyzed biological samples from 322 healthy people of European, East Asian or South Asian ancestry, living in Europe, Asia or North America.
The results published in the journal cell show that certain biological characteristics seem linked to origins, independently of the place of life. Thus, people of European ancestry have greater diversity in the gut microbiota, while people of South Asian ancestry appear to be more exposed to pathogens.
Other characteristics vary by geography. Leaving the continent of one’s ancestors is associated with changes in lipid metabolism as well as changes in the gut microbiota. Researchers also studied the biological aging of individuals, that is to say the apparent age of cells and tissues, which can differ from calendar age. “East Asians who live outside of Asia have a higher biological age than those who reside in Asia. As for Europeans, those who live outside Europe are younger”explains Dr. Michael Snyder, co-author of the study, in a press release. The factors at play are probably diet, microbiota and lifestyle.
The study also highlighted a link between bacteria in the intestinal microbiota (Oscillospiraceae UCG-002), a lipid (sphingomyelin) and a gene involved in cellular longevity (telomerase), suggesting that the microbiota could influence cellular aging.
What you can do
These results may give the feeling that our biology is largely determined. But the study also shows that the environment modifies biology: it is therefore possible to act, in particular on the microbiota, which depends on diet.
Here are some tips for a great microbiota:
- Choose a diet rich in plants and fiber (vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits).
- Consume fermented foods regularly (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso).
- Limit ultra-processed foods, alcohol and salt.
- Regular physical activity and quality sleep also help maintain a healthy microbiota.
These habits do not erase our genetic origins, but they act on the environmental part of our biology, which is far from negligible.
To go further: I rebalance my microbiota
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Historical
- 06/16/2026
