DNA of people affected by poverty

Stresses and pressures caused by poverty can cause permanent damage to humans, according to a new study.

Poor family harms human DNA

Researchers found that the DNA of the poor is deteriorating in quality due to difficult feeding. The conclusion was drawn after researchers looked at telomeres of the poor and middle-class, white, black or Mexican-origin in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Telomeres are chromosomal protective caps that contain our genes.

The team discovered that those who grow in disadvantaged environments own telomeres (often shrinking DNA sequences) than those who grow in better-conditioned families. .

In young people, telomeres are about 8,000 - 10,000 nucleotides long. They are shortened after each cell division and due to stress. A previously discovered study, telomeres' length can help predict life expectancy in people .

In the new study, experts found that low-income Detroit residents, regardless of race, possessed telomeres shorter than the average of the entire United States. They determined that there were certainly effects of living in poor neighborhoods and racial segregation.

In the study subjects, the relationship between ethnicity and income with telomere length varies greatly. In particular, the shortest telomeres belong to the white poor, while white middle-class people own the longest telomere.

Black Detroit residents have telomere lengths equal to each other despite income levels, while poor Mexican residents own longer telomeres than higher-income Mexicans. The researcher, Dr. Arline Geronimus, claims that this phenomenon is due to the fact that poor Mexican people grew up in less stressful environments , with a support system and cultural orientation that does not harm feelings. receive their self-respect.

To explain the differences in telomere length in the black group, the study authors said: "The gap between poor black people and non-poor in everyday life is less obvious among whites. poor and not poor ".