The Concept And Principles Of Nutrigenomics

Over the past several decades, nutrionists along with government agencies such as the FDA have tried to come up with ways for Americans to live a healthier life free of disease. Whether that be through the food pyramid, MyPlate, or RDA’s; they have tried to come up with a generalized way to eat better and lead healthier lifestyles. However, this is where those attempts have their pitfalls, they are just too generalized. It is the same way that a certain training regimen benefits one person, but not the other. Everyone is different and unique in their genetic makeup, thus needing something that works specifically for them. That is where nutrigenomics comes in, by looking at how certain nutrients react with a person’s specific genes a tailored diet plan can be made for what they specifically need.

Now that there is more research than ever that shows that the nutrients in the food we eat interacts with a disease phenotype, we can more accurately guide patients in a plan that will work for them and cause less harm to the body.

In one study by Costa, it was shown that women who had the A allele for APOA1 had much higher levels of HDL compared to a group of women who had the G allele which actually lowered their levels after consuming a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies such as this show why nutrigenomics can be so vital in the future. In the past, it has been shown time and time again that polyunsaturated fatty acids can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), so basically it was said everyone should be trying to get more of that in their diets. Now it has been proven that doesn’t work for everybody and can actually do more harm than good for specific groups; once again showing how nutrigenomics can be used to make a specific plan for someone. Another study by Dátilo found that mice who ate a high-fat diet showed a marked increase in TNF and IL1 gene expression which caused higher inflammation in the retina compared to the group of mice who ate a lower-fat diet. This study directly shows how an unhealthy diet has an impact on gene expression, therefore we must consider this when conducting a nutritional assessment.

Now that it has been shown that the field of nutrigenomics has yielded some very promising results for patients who don’t respond to the general dietary guidelines. The question must be asked why has this approach not been unanimously decided as the gold standard for nutritional assessment? Costa believes there are a multitude of factors why ranging from cost of getting a whole genetic sequence for one person, there needs to be more research, and many of the trials focus on one gene when it would be more beneficial to look at multiple genes. Although it may be expensive, to further nutrigenomics role in nutritional assessment it is imperative to look at multiple genes. As it has been said, everyone is different so although it is nice that research has found links to diet and certain gene expression; we cannot truly make a tailored approach without knowing if diet is beneficial to certain genes and not others. In his paper, Costa does believe that animal studies using nutrigenomics may help piece together some of things we do not know yet, so papers such as the one done by Dátilo2 could help researchers take the next step.

Overall, nutrigenomics seems to be the best way to bridge the gap between what years of research have shown to be helpful for most of the population all the while still creating something that takes into account individual needs and genetic makeup. While there needs to be more research conducted, the papers put out by Costa and Dátila are a step in the right direction in order to create an informed and more complete nutritional assessment.