Nutragenomics
Vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are what they are, but individuals’ metabolisms and genes vary. A new field of study is emerging with the quest to control weight and gain the optimum nutrient benefits to control disease and live longer. Nutragenomics is the science of tailoring one’s nutrition intake according to one’s genetic makeup and environmental factors.
This more detailed look at genes, diet and the body became possible after completion of the human genome project in 2003 when all of the nearly 25,000 genes in human DNA were identified. The research has propelled a new look at diet and health based on genetics, molecular biology and physiology.
It’s long been known that diet plays a key role in chronic diseases. Through nutragenomics, it’s possible to analyze our genetic makeup and manage our genes by the diet we eat, and therefore influence chronic diseases.
The result of all this knowledge is the advancement of personalized nutrition. We already see the seeds of personal nutrition management on the government level since the one-size-fits-all Food Guide Pyramid was replaced with the more personal MyPyramid Food Guidance System by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2005. The government Web site encourages individuals to fill in their age, sex, weight, height and amount of daily physical activity then click and read the amount of grains, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat and beans to consume each day for optimum health.
All of the focus on personal nutrition based on one’s genetic makeup is sparking new services and products - to start with, personal gene screening for susceptibility or resistance to certain diseases. Pharmaceutical companies are fast at work determining drugs to provide respite from whatever might be found from the screening. These are called nutraceuticals, a term also applied to foods that claim to have medicinal affects. Functional foods or Frankenfoods are other terms. The vitamin supplement industry also is booming with pills and potions to forestall diseases that might be on your genetic horizon.
No matter the direction industry takes nutragenomics, science confirms the benefits of the phytochemicals found freely and naturally in fruits and vegetables.
For example, if through nutragenomic screening, you discover that you are at risk for macular degeneration, an understanding of the compounds found in produce might lead you to eat more lutein-rich items like spinach, broccoli and kiwifruit.
Issues with high cholesterol and heart disease can be addressed by increasing the amount of allicin found naturally in onions and garlic.
It would be tempting to rely on vitamin supplements to provide those nutrients, but the combination of compounds found in fruits and vegetables adds to their benefit, not to mention the natural fiber and other vitamins they contain to go along with the compounds.
