Eating plant material can alter gene expression in animals and humans

A research team at Nanjing University in China has found that plant like rice,brussels sprouts and possibly lots of other plants have  genetic material that can survive passage though the human or animal stomachs and enter the blood stream.
MicroRNA, particulary MIR168a andMIR156a  can survive the gut bacteria and digestive system , it was found by the research team in the livers and lungs of mice.
Gene expression was altered in about 50 genes including a gene that lowers cholesterol levels, causing cholesterol levels to rise.
Alteration of human gene expression  by plants might be as old as humanity.