For the past two weeks, my Medical Nutrition Therapy class has been studying nutrigenomics. Most of you are probably thinking “what the heck is nutrigenomics???”. Well, nutrigenomics is “the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease”.

In the past, we have been able to identify one specific gene linking to one specific disorder such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. But with an increased amount of genetic research and new technology arising each day, we are able to discover how genetic variation can affect a person’s response to bioactive food components. This can help personalize and individualize a patient’s nutrition strategy whether it is for disease prevention or bettering their health. While one person may benefit from a low fat diet, the next person might benefit more from a low sodium diet. And we will soon be able to discover this through genetics.

Can you imagine the improved outcomes one may have if their nutrition diagnosis is made to fit their genetic variances?!  

Although we don’t know how far out we are until this information will be used in the clinical setting, it is approaching us at a quicker rate than we all might think! xoxo