The term, nutritional genomics, is a new science that deals with analyzing the interplay between human health and nutrition, with respect to the human genome.
There are two main categories when looking at nutritional genomics.
These are nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics.
There is a distinct difference between the two.
Nutrigenomics is concerned with the effect that particular nutrients have on the genome, metabolome, and the proteome.
Nutrigenetics focuses on genetic differences between individuals and the correlating health concerns that may arise from a particular genetic modification.
(4,5) Nutrigenomics A wide variety of nutrients can have profound effect on the regulation of gene expression within different cells of the body.
There are many different pathways of metabolism and ways of maintaining the body's homeostasis within the human body.
The new science of nutrigenomics seeks to understand this relationship between nutrition and health.
One must look at gene products and the physiological function of these products when faced with a particular nutrient.
Certain genes may produce different products or proteins, depending on the way that the cell recognizes the nutrient.
Every cell in the human body has a built in sensory system.
Depending on the levels of nutrients detected, the protein expression of the cell varies.
In order to more fully understand the ways in which nutrients may affect the expression of genes, more studies need to be done in the areas of protein expression and metabolite production (4) Example of Nutrigenomics in Action: An example of the use of nutrigenomics in modern medicine can be displayed by a few studies.
Take, for instance, the study by Ferguson, that seeks to analyze nutrition and genetic polymorphisms, in relation to Crohn's disease.
In Crohn's disease, studies confirm the importance of caspase-activated recruitment domain 15 and major histocompatability complex II molecules, but also reveal strong associations with the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-23 receptor and autophagy related 16-like gene.
So far, genes identified to date in Crohn's disease can be linked into two related pathways: receptor-mediated cytokine induction or autophagocytosis.
Nutrients that display anti-inflammatory actions, such as omega 3 fatty acids, are being studied as a possible way to treat this disease.
(2) Another example of the use of nutrigenomics can be displayed by another one of Ferguson's studies.
This study deals with bowel disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease is known to be caused by a genetic predisposition, arising from certain genetic polymorphisms.
These abnormalities change the way the body reacts to luminal bacteria.
The gene associated with this disease is the Caspase-activated recruitment domain (CARD15) gene.
Other genes responsible for the abnormal reaction to luminal bacteria are autophagy-related 16-like 1 and human defensin genes.
These genes seem to induce the overreaction of the human immune system in the gut, thus causing an excessive immunity related inflammatory response.
Since the nature of the genes involved is known, nutritional suggestions can be made.
Pro-biotics can be ingested to have an impact on microbial flora.
Omega 3-fatty acids and polyphenols can reduce inflammation in the gut.
Green tea polyphenols have also been used to treat irritable bowel syndrome.
(3) Nutrigenetics This branch of nutrigenomics is highly interested in the genetic makeup of individuals.
It is highly regarded in the area of individual based medicine.
The main goal of nutrigenetics is to personalize nutrition.
This means that, based upon one's genetic makeup, a certain diet can be constructed that prevents disease, enhances immunity, increases life span, and betters quality of life.
In the present day, nutrigenetics has not evolved to be beneficial on a large scale.
There is still much work to be done on the subject.
Once nutrigenomics is able to say what a particular nutrient does to a gene, then the scientists can start to prescribe certain individual based diets.
(5) Examples of Nutrigenetics in Action: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is caused by a wide interplay of genes and pathways.
It deals with the bodies lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
Some genes involved in this form of diabetes are sterol response element binding protein and intronic single nucleotide polymorphism.
Mutations in these genes have been related to increase in occurrence of type 2 diabetes.
The SREBP 1-c gene has been found to be highly responsive to high fructose diets.
MRNA expression was highly induced in mice having one polymorphism by high fructose diets.
(1) Another disease that is under the survallience of nutrigenetics is cardiovascular related diseases.
Diseases like hyperlipidemia have been linked to genes encoding for apolipoproteins.
People with the E4 allele in the apolipoprotein E gene show a higher bad cholesterol levels with increased dietary fat consumption, when compared with people with E1, E2, or E3 alleles.
Also, one polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene is correlated with an increase in protective HDL levels compared with the TT genotype.
(1) The science is clear, there is a direct correlation between a person's genetics and certain markers for disease.
References: 1.
Ferguson L.
R.
"Nutrigenomics in the whole-genome scanning era: Crohn's disease as an example.
" Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 2007 2.
"Genes, diet and inflammatory bowel disease" Mutation Res.
2007, 622 (1-2):70-83 3.
Kaput J.
"Diet-Disease Gene Interactions.
" Nutrition 2004; 20:26-31 4.
Munoz de Chavez.
"Nutrigenomics in public health nutrition: short-term perspectives.
" European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
57 (Suppl.
) 97-100 5.
Ordovas JM.
"Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics.
" Curr Opin Lipidol.
2004: 101-108.