Meat-resistance genes

A study finds that humans evolved genes to offset high cholesterol and chronic diseases assocated with a meat-rich diet.

"Meat contains cholesterol and fat, not to mention potential parasites and diseases like Mad Cow," he said. "We believe humans evolved to resist these kinds of things. Mad Cow disease — which probably goes back millions of years — would have wiped out the species if we hadn't developed meat-tolerant genes."