When it comes to living a healthy life, a lot of your health depends on the actions you take, and the rest is up to your genes.

At UTRGV, researchers are trying to find the links between genes, and what we know about very high rates of some diseases.

“We are seeing astronomical rates for diabetes, Alzheimer's, liver disease,” Jacob Galan, an associate professor at UTRGV’s department of genetics, said. 

Galan is working to better understand if fatty liver disease is tied to mycotoxin — a toxin he said that comes from a fungus that grows on food, and can grow whenever food is stored.

That includes many kinds of foods like meat, vegetables, milk and corn.

“We eat a lot of corn-based products… and they have shown high levels of mycotoxins in the Rio Grande Valley and Texas," Galan said.

Galan said humidity in the Valley also spurs the growth of mold.

To avoid mycotoxins, public health authorities say don't store food for a long time, and inspect it for mold before you eat.

Galan's team is now looking at blood samples of people with fatty liver disease, and comparing that to their concentration of mycotoxins.

They're also testing their theory by putting mycotoxins in liver stem cells and observing the results.

Mycotoxins are one of several "environmental contaminants" that are currently being studied to find links to diseases that affect the Valley.

Watch the video above for the full story.