Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomics is a branch of nutrition that explores the interaction between an individual's genetic makeup and their dietary habits. It seeks to understand how food influences genetic expression and, conversely, how genetics can affect the way the body metabolizes food. This field gained traction in the 1980s as researchers began identifying genetic variations, such as lactose intolerance, which can differ significantly among populations. By mapping the human genome in the 1990s, scientists enriched their comprehension of these genetic differences and their implications for nutrition.
Nutrigenomics emphasizes that dietary recommendations are not one-size-fits-all; different individuals may respond uniquely to the same foods based on their genetic predispositions. This research also highlights how early nutritional experiences, such as maternal nutrition during pregnancy, can have long-lasting effects on health outcomes, suggesting that genetics and diet are intricately linked. Through advanced studies, nutrigenomics aims to develop personalized nutrition plans tailored to an individual's genetic profile, potentially aiding in the prevention and management of health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. However, caution is advised due to the complexity of these interactions and the challenges of translating genetic insights into effective dietary changes.
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Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomics is the branch of nutrition that studies how a person's genetic makeup affects how the body uses food and how food affects a person's genetic makeup. Science has long known that food can affect health and the human body. In the last decades of the twentieth century, researchers discovered that there are differences in how food and genes interact in some individuals and groups of people. Nutrigenomics is the effort to understand how this happens. This knowledge can then be used to help design nutrition plans to treat and prevent a wide range of diseases.
Background
People have long realized that what they eat has an impact on their health. For instance, the Bible tells the story of Daniel and his friends, who refused to eat food provided by the king. The guards were afraid Daniel and his friends would become weak eating the fruits and vegetables they requested, but after ten days the guards were surprised to see Daniel and his friends looked better than young men who had been eating the royal food (Daniel 1: 8–16).
For many centuries, people have believed certain foods were healthier than others; these recommendations changed and even reversed with some regularity. Scientists also began to discover that some people had trouble digesting foods that others could eat easily. For example, people of Hispanic, African, Asian, and Native American descent are more likely to have a condition known as lactose intolerance than those of European descent. This condition results from a lack of an enzyme known as lactase, which helps people digest dairy products.
Nutrigenomics got its start in the 1980s, when researchers began examining what caused conditions such as lactose intolerance. They discovered that the conditions were the result of genetic differences and changes. Living organisms have a substance called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is made up of four enzymes that are hooked together in specific patterns. These sets of patterns are known as genes, and the way genes are put together provides the instructions for how the living being will be made.
If the person does not have the correct genes to make lactase, for instance, the person will not make any and will be lactose intolerant. Another gene, known as CYP1A2, affects how fast people metabolize caffeine. Some variations of the gene can make people more susceptible to heart problems if too much caffeine is consumed. Many of these genetic effects became better understood after researchers finished mapping the human genome, or genetic pattern, in the 1990s.
Overview
Nutrigenomics is an emerging field of study that is growing very rapidly. For the first time, researchers can not only say that some foods are better for people than others, but they can also explain in detail why. They can also begin to understand on a deeper level why some people and groups of people are more likely to have certain conditions.
For instance, research has revealed that the tendency of European cultures to raise dairy animals and consume more milk products than people from Hispanic, African, Asian, and Native American areas caused the Europeans to retain the lactase-producing enzyme that other cultures lose after childhood. The gene for lactase production programmed the body to keep making lactase because it continued to be needed. This cultural practice became coded into the genetic structure of the people.
Nutrigenomics is also helping researchers understand why two people of about the same size and activity level can eat a similar diet and get different results. They are learning that "one size fits all" eating plans do not necessarily work. Some people with different genetic coding may react differently to some foods. Research has also revealed that the types of foods eaten decades before can affect a person later in life. For instance, women who are malnourished during pregnancy can give birth to children who experience increased risks of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes decades later. Scientists say this is because the genetics of the child were changed by the items missing from the mother's diet while she carried the child during pregnancy.
Scientists engaged in the study of nutrigenomics take a big picture look at nutrition and the body. They recognize that the relationship between food and the body is intricate and intertwined down to the level of the genes themselves. These scientists therefore use more detailed studies to help understand these relationships. Instead of looking at more traditional markers such as weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels, they study hormone levels and quantify genes. They also measure things in the body that were almost unheard of until the late twentieth century, such as the levels and types of microbes in a person's digestive tract.
Through this more detailed study, scientists hope to be able to better understand what triggers diseases, why obesity is so prevalent and difficult to combat, and how seemingly unrelated conditions such as mental health are affected by the food and gene connection. They are also beginning to be able to offer individualized nutrition plans that can help people seeking to deal with specific conditions or simply to optimize their overall health.
Several companies have begun marketing kits that use small blood and DNA samples to determine what percentage of fat, carbohydrates, and protein an individual should eat for best results in losing weight and maintaining health. Others can identify specific dietary deficiencies and recommend a plan for overcoming them. Ongoing research means additional tests and recommendations will be developed.
While the science of nutrigenomics shows great promise in key areas such as overcoming obesity and helping those who have diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, some researchers urge caution. They note that the interactions between food and genetics are very complicated. It is possible that this complexity will make it difficult to discern all the implications of changing diet to match genetics or vice versa. They also note that despite the growing popularity of genetic testing for nutritional purposes, there is little indication that it has any greater impact on the actual eating behaviors of people than any other dietary advice in the past. The testing is also relatively expensive and limited in scope. This may change with future developments and advancements in the field of nutrigenomics.
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