Nutritional Genomics and the Concept of Personalized Nutrition.
Nutritional genomics is a process that entails the definition of different bioactivities of food constitutes to improve health and well-being through dietary fortification and modification. Nutritional genomics is a process that entails the definition of different bioactivities of food constitutes to improve health and well-being through dietary fortification and modification. It entails the optimization of the quality of life and health of humans, a process that entails variation in the human genome and the role played by nutrition in the expressed genes. It entails the application of various genomics tools to diet-gene interactions in order to recognize beneficial and detrimental dietetic components. According to German, Zivkovic, Dallas, and Smilowitz (2011, p. 98), nutritional genomics refers to the application of functional genomic technologies in nutrition-related research. The technologies employed in this research are often integrated with genomic sequence database and inter-individual genetic variability to facilitate a parallel study of differential gene expression. These techniques often expedite optimal nutrition on individuals, populations, and particular groups in a manner that promotes the development and promotion of healthy foods and food-derived treatments.
The need to prevent diseases and identify an improved quality of life has encouraged advancement in genetics performance. This growth has been facilitated by the development of an array of diagnostic tools that facilitate personalized genomic medicine as well as personalized nutrition by perceiving every person as a unique being (Hurlimann, Menuz, Graham, Robitaille, Vohl, and Godard, 2014, p. 370). This practice has led to personalized nutrition which refers to the development of unique guidelines of nutrition for every individual whereby precise nutrition often seek to develop enhanced approaches that are based on the combination of individual lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors (Debusk, Fogarty, Ordovas, and Kornman, 2005, p. 593). Personalization nutrition has been facilitated by the fact that individual food choices often get reflected in one’s physiological and molecular mechanisms since a diet that is good for one person may be detrimental to another. An individual is likely to benefit or fail to benefit from the consumption of various minerals and vitamins which are significant metabolic conduits to physiological homeostasis based on their genetic composition.
Technics Involved in Nutritional Genomics
A range of technologies is involved in the development of nutritional genomics. The genomic revolution has facilitated the development of an array of technologies including proteomic, genomic, metabonomic, and bioinformatics techniques that have facilitated research in gene-nutrient interactions in the cell level, population, and individual level. According to Hurlimann et al., (2014, p. 370), traditionally adopted technologies such as genotyping and DNA sequencing are also likely to adopt novel approaches through the use of advanced DNA arrays among other high throughput techniques. The use of transcriptomic has been made possible by the use of microarrays that often profile gene expression patterns in various genes or genome in an experiment. The use of proteomics technology also assists geneticists to research and study the proteins in a tissue or cell which enables them to understand the role played by proteins in the cells as well as the interacting molecules. Additionally, the technique of metabonomics often encourages the study of metabolic pathways through the use of noninvasive biomarkets. According to Debusk et al., (2005, p. 593), these techniques can be combined in order to promote a deeper understanding of the influence of dietary patterns and specific nutrients to the entire organism as well as the metabolic behavior of different cells.
Application of Techniques in Health Care
Although a range of technologies forms the foundation of nutritional genomics, their practicality has not been tested in nutritional science. However, they are applied in related fields including toxicological, clinical research, and pharmaceutical research. The challenge of applying the technologies in nutritional genomics is due to the weaknesses evidenced in the design of studies that have the capability to decipher the inherent complex interactions in genetic differences in individuals, disease predisposition, and compound gene interactions.
Ways to Make the Adoption of Nutritional Genomics to make it Mainstream
Although nutritional genomics has significant potential to make changes to personal recommendations and dietary guidelines, its implementation is lower than anticipated. In order to ensure that nutria-genetics becomes more mainstream, the field needs to integrate diverse investigators and disciplines to work on a large population of study in order to investigate the gene-environment interactions adequately. However, although the adoption of these techniques is faced by an array of difficulties, evidence shows that continued research will enable harnessing of the information contained in the genomes, an aspect that will ensure successful lifestyles and well-being through changes in nutrition and behavior. Additionally, these techniques should be combined such as to understand the impact of various dietary patterns and specific nutrients on organs, metabolic behavior of different organisms, and the entire organism. According to German et al. (2011, p. 98), scientists can accomplish the goals of genomics by acquiring tools of study while visualizing complex interaction models and harnessing strong computer power in order to integrate diverse information and ensure that they transgress boundaries between disciplines and institutions.
Challenges and Barriers of Nutritional Genomics
The growth of nutritional genomics has been limited by a lack of evidence that supports the health outcomes of such tests. The main challenge that is evidenced in the application of nutritional genomics is inherent in the design of meaningful studies applied in the techniques and the application of studies with the capability of deciphering complicated interactions between genetic differences in individuals (Camp and Trujillo, 2014, p. 233).
Another challenge evidenced by scientists in this discipline is the need to develop a fundamental knowledge base that is necessary to address the inherent complexity. The existent of multidisciplinary experts such as genetic scientists, nutrition scientists, and bioinformatics scientists will address all the challenges characteristic of this field.
In order to solve the barriers and challenges experienced in this field, nutrigenomics should assemble a catalog of nutrient-gene interactions and use the collected data to create an integrated framework to understand the manner in which the complex system work and ensure successful testing of the hypotheses (Ordovas and Corella, 2009, p. 1206). Additionally, a complete set of data should be developed that describes the required nutrient-gene interactions in order to develop a theory that is sufficient for predicting different effects of epigenetic variations on nutrient and metabolism requirements.
Benefits and Risks Associated with Nutritional Genomics?
Although there is little progress on the adoption of nutritional genomics, research shows that the implementation of this technology helps to alleviate the likelihood of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer through personalized nutrition and dietary interventions (German, Zivkovic, Dallas, and Smilowitz, 2011, p. 98). Additionally, modified and engineered foods often improve individual genetic characteristics while contributing to public health positively. The achievement of these benefits is often affected by different socio-ethical considerations that tend to challenge the development and implementation of nutritional genomics. In relation to individual health, nutritional genomics has been employed such as to provide improved mechanisms to understand disease progression and help professionals to identify the need for necessary changes between diseases and the maintenance of health. According to Hurlimann et al. (2014, p. 370), this is important since nutrition is an essential environmental component that influences gene expression. Additionally, the interaction that exists between nutrients absorption and genetics is determinant of an individual’s well-being and health status.
Studying the manner in which common variations in genetics tend to affect food and drug metabolism is a suggestion that the relevance of genetic information is gaining increasing significance to clinical practitioners. This increased interest has introduced additional risks related with the storage, acquisition, and the use of genetic information due to increased likelihood of legal and ethical concerns (Tarver, 2019, p. 36) Nutritional genomics risks are also associated with the maintenance of confidentiality, privacy rights, and discrimination risks in relation to decisions about employment and insurance coverage. iN children genetic analysis often poses questions on the extent of parental authority.
Non-Genetic Ways to Personalize Nutrition Recommendations
Although personalized nutrition has been based on the analysis of DNA samples, research shows that recommendations can also be based on stool samples (Peterson,2009, p. 2320). Companies such as uBiome, Viome, and DayTwo provide personalized nutrition tests that are based on the individual’s gut microbiota. Analysis of the gut microbiota helps to provide an indication of the reason why people react differently to foods, which indicates the foods that can be personalized to improve health. According to Hurlimann et al. (2014, p. 370), every human being has their own set of microbiota which they share a symbiotic partnership with their microbiota from birth.
Gut Microbiome Analysis: The human gut hosts more than 100 trillion microbes including fungi, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses that together form the gut microbiome. According to German et al. (2011, p. 98), microbiome DNA plays a significant role in metabolism and digestion, which affects individual health and fitness. However, although every person has a unique set of the microbiome, Tarver (2019, p. 36) explains that an array of factors often re-shape the population of microbiome including genetic makeup, diet, age, mode of birth, and antibiotics. The microbiome produces compounds such as vitamins that the human body cannot synthesize thus determining the nutrients that are available in the foods we eat. According to the Human Microbiome Project, capitalizing on the individual blueprint of gut microbiota can serve as a prospective towards personalizing nutrition (Peterson,2009, p. 2320). However, there is a need to undertake further research to understand its application through scientific evidence.
Effect of Genetic Information on Change of Nutritional Habits in the Long Term
Yes, people are likely to change their nutrition behaviors after understanding their genomic information. This is because understanding that different people metabolize nutrients differently depending on genetic makeup can affect their consumption. For instance, people are likely to react to cholesterol, caffeine, and starch differently, in that nutrients often interact with genomes and modify the expression of an individual’s genes. Understanding this can cause one to modify various foods such as carbohydrates in a manner that would result in weight loss. Although the availability of genomic information can help to change behavior in the short term, it is difficult for most people to sustain such behavior in the long-term due to the fact that unhealthy food is addictive, cheap, and readily available.
Social, Legal or Ethical Consequences to Consider
Clinical practitioners should consider legal, social, and ethical consequences involved in the practice of nutritional genomics. Considering this field is developing, there is a need for clinical practice to focus on the development of code of conduct on the collection, storage, and dissemination of genetic information.
References
Camp, K.M., and Trujillo, E., 2014. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: nutritional genomics. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(2), pp.299-312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2013.12.001
Debusk, R.M., Fogarty, C.P., Ordovas, J.M. and Kornman, K.S., 2005. Nutritional genomics in practice: Where do we begin?. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(4), pp.589-598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.01.002
German, J.B., Zivkovic, A.M., Dallas, D.C., and Smilowitz, J.T., 2011. Nutrigenomics and personalized diets: What will they mean for food? Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 2, pp.97-123. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.food.102308.124147
Hurlimann, T., Menuz, V., Graham, J., Robitaille, J., Vohl, M.C., and Godard, B., 2014. Risks of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics? What the scientists say. Genes & Nutrition, 9(1), p.370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12263-013-0370-6
Ordovas, J.M., and Corella, D., 2009. Nutrition and Diet in the Era of Genomic. Genomic and Personalized Medicine. 1st ed. San Diego: Elsevier, pp.1204-20. https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=207422
Peterson, J., Garges, S., Giovanni, M., McInnes, P., Wang, L., Schloss, J.A., Bonazzi, V., McEwen, J.E., Wetterstrand, K.A., Deal, C. and Baker, C.C., 2009. The NIH human microbiome project. Genome Research, 19(12), pp.2317-2323. http://www.genome.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gr.096651.109.
Tarver, T., 2019. The Pros and Cons of Personalized Nutrition. Food Technology, 72(10), pp.33-45.