Nutrigenomics

Personalized Nutrition: Tailoring Your Diet to Fit Your Genes

From childhood to adulthood, we are bombarded with advice about what we should eat: “Eat your vegetables!” “Potato chips are bad for you!” “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”

We all have a general idea of healthy eating and are probably aware of nutrition recommendations in the Canada Food Guide. But despite all this advice about what we should eat, we still have much to learn about how our genes and diet interact to affect our health and our risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Is it possible to tailor our diet to our genes and improve our health?

Scientists studying genetics and nutrition are curious about these very same questions. A growing area of research called “nutrigenomics” studies how a person’s genes and diet interact to protect his/her health or put him/her at greater risk for disease.

Consider a Cup of Coffee

Many people start their day with a cup - or two, or three - of coffee. Scientists at the University of Toronto are investigating genetic differences in how long it takes coffee drinkers to clear caffeine from their bodies. They have found that some people clear caffeine much faster than others and that those who clear caffeine more slowly may be at higher risk of heart attack, even at low levels of caffeine consumption.

More about Heart Health

People who have cardiovascular (heart) disease are often counseled to change their lifestyle by eating a healthier diet, getting more exercise and, if necessary, losing weight and stopping smoking. For some people, these changes alone improve their heart health. Other patients must take prescription drugs to control their disease. Researchers have learned that cardiovascular patients with certain genetic variations are more likely benefit from lifestyle changes, so changing their diet might be as effective as giving them medication.

Access to Nutrigenomic Services

Would you buy genetic testing and nutritional advice over the Internet? While scientists are doing research to learn more about gene-diet interactions, some companies are already selling “nutrigenetic” tests directly to consumers over the Internet. People can send a sample of their cells, along with information about their diet and lifestyle to a company that will do genetic analysis of the sample, review the client’s information, and then develop personalized nutrition recommendations for the client. Fees for these genetic tests range from around $100 to $400.

While some people are eager to learn more about their genetic makeup and welcome nutrition advice tailored to their genes, others are concerned that consumers may be misled by unscrupulous companies who sell services without adequate scientific knowledge to support their claims. In some cases, companies that offer genetic testing and personalized dietary advice also market expensive nutrition supplements that may be nothing more than overpriced multivitamins. Government agencies in some countries are considering ways to regulate nutrigenomic services to ensure consumers are protected from misleading marketing while still having access to reputable companies who can offer useful nutrition and health information.

Stay Tuned for More Developments in Nutrigenomics

Through nutrigenomics research, scientists in Canada and in other countries are unraveling the complex links between genes, diet and health. Individuals, companies and health care professionals are all interested in using this new information to help reduce risks of disease and promote health.

Governments, in the meantime, may need to develop new rules to regulate genetic tests to ensure consumers are protected when they buy these services.

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