The
focus is on the concept of personalized nutrition and its likely role in public health and disease prevention as well as in therapy. Nutrigenetics is concerned with the role of DNA sequence variation in responding to nutrients, whereas nutrigenomics studies the role of nutrients in gene expression. This volume of Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science is dedicated to the exciting and promising field of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. The introductory chapter defines the basic concepts required for interpreting the material covered in the rest of the volume
are.
This research is based on the assumption that there are individual differences in the response to acute or repeated exposures to a particular nutrient or combination of nutrients. Throughout human history, diet has affected the expression of genes, resulting in phenotypes that are able to respond successfully to environmental issues and that allow for better exploitation of food resources. These adjustments were crucial for human growth and development. Technological advances have made it possible to study not only specific genes but also the entire genome-wide range of DNA sequence variants
or transcriptomes in unbiased designs to investigate.
These advances provide an opportunity to create the basis for incorporating biological individuality into dietary recommendations with significant therapeutic potential. Although the use of nutrigenetics to predict the benefits or risks of eating certain foods is being followed with great enthusiasm, this area is still in its infancy. Nutritional genomics is concerned with researching the interactions between nutrients and comprises the related but different areas of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. This overview is an update of the results of the symposium and is intended to provide an overview of (i) the basic concepts, technical terms and technologies in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics; (ii) how this knowledge can be used to optimize health and prevent and treat diseases; (iii) how to read, understand and interpret nutritional and (iv) how this knowledge can change nutrition and dietary practice and which Effects this can have on a such transformation.
Nutrigenetic and nutrigenomic research provides us with an avalanche of new knowledge, and it will become increasingly clear which genetic factors must be given particular attention when formulating recommendations for important genetic subgroups that have a significant prevalence in the population. Center for Human Research and Nutrigenetics, UNC Nutrition Research Institute and Department of Nutrition of the Faculties of Medicine and Public Health Kannapolis, NC, USA. This volume is dedicated to the latest advances in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, with a focus on current professional literature and the most promising research designs and technologies. While it’s not easy to unravel the link between nutrigenome and disease, the impact on public health is huge
.
The impact of nutrients on the expression of F genes is known as nutrigenomics, while the heterogeneous response of gene variants to nutrients, dietary components, and evolving nutracetics is known as nutrigenetics. Nutrigenomics also describes the use of functional genomic methods to study a biological system to understand how nutrient molecules affect metabolic pathways and homeostatic control. This is in fact an up-to-date overview of the various aspects of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics that are relevant to doctors looking for a better understanding of this new frontier of nutritional research and its potential application in dietary practice. Nutrigenetics places value on understanding how an individual’s genetic background affects nutrition (1. It is obvious that, despite the promising results of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, there is still a long way to go before dietary recommendations based on genetic testing, either alone or in combination with gene expression, and biomarkers for metabolic and nutritional status can significantly change current practices for preventing and
fighting disease.
The response to bioactive food components depends on the genetic background (nutrigenetic effects), which can influence absorption and metabolic goals or sites of action. It is becoming increasingly obvious that nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics play a central role in studying the effects of diet on health outcomes and that the effects of nutrients can be comprehensively assessed using a variety of “omic” technologies and biomarkers. The latter is based on the recognition that genome damage is the most fundamental cause of developmental and degenerative diseases, which can be accurately diagnosed and prevented through appropriate dietary and lifestyle interventions at genetic subgroup and personalized levels. Because nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics require a deep understanding of nutrition, genetics and biochemistry as well as ever new “omic” technologies, it is often difficult even for trained professionals to assess their significance for the practice of preventive approaches to optimize health, delay the onset of diseases
and reduce their severity.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3481686/
- Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Viewpoints on the Current Status and Applications in Nutrition Research and Practice | Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics | Karger Publishers