Nutrigenomics

Incorporating genetics into dietary guidelines
• The study of the consequences of the influence of

nutrients and other bioactive food components on
the expression of the genetic material
Definition
• “Seeks to examine dietary signatures in cells,

tissues and organisms and to understand how
nutrition influences homeostasis” (Muller and
Kersten,2003)
• “The interface between the nutritional environment

and cellular/genetic processes” (Kaput and
Rodriguez,2004)
Nutrigenomics
• Nutrigenomics is a branch of nutritional genomics and is

the study of the effects of foods and food constituents on
gene expression.
Introduction
• Nutrigenomics is establishing the effects of

ingested nutrients and other food components on
gene expression and gene regulation
• It will also determine the individual nutritional
requirements based on the genetic makeup of the
person as well as the association between diet and
chronic diseases
• It will identify the genes involved in physiological
responses to diet and the genes in which small
changes, called polymorphisms and the influence
of environmental factors on gene expression
Nutrigenetics
• Nutrigenetics identifies how the genetic make up of

a particular individual co-ordinates his or her
response to various dietary nutrients
• It also reveals why and how people respond

differently to the same nutrient
The four basic tenets of nutrigenomics are:
i. Improper diets are risk factors for disease.
ii. Dietary chemicals alter gene expression and /or

change genome structure.
iii. The degree to which diet influences the balance

between healthy and disease states may depend on
an individuals genetic makeup.
iv. Some diet-regulated genes are likely to play a role in

the onset, incidence, progression, and/or severity of
chronic diseases.
Nutrigenomics/Nutrigenitcs deal with few, though important, concepts
1. Specific dietary profiles can modulate the delicate balance

between health and disease acting, either directly or indirectly,
on gene expression.
2. The individual genetic makeup, that is , the presence of

polymorphisms in nutrient regulated genes, affects individual
risk of diseases.
3. Personalized diets, which take into account individual

genotype, represent the ultimate goal of
Nutrigenomics/Nutrigenitcs studies, as they can lower risk in
genetically predisposed individuals or population groups.
How does diet affects our gene expression ?
• Genes express themselves through proteins. Enzymes are special

proteins designed to get things started.
• Our genome instructs ribosomes to produce many enzymes that
destroy toxins.
• Some foods such as cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprout
contain chemicals that actually tell our gene to direct biosynthesis of
these enzymes
• In some individuals genes give unclear instructions for making an
enzyme that metabolizes the amino acid, phenylalanine. As a result
this amino acid build up, thereby causing brain damage
• A diet restricting this amino acid will stop the damage if detected in
early infancy
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)
• Most of the genes have small sequence differences –

polymorphisms- that vary among individuals
• SNP are the most common type of variation
• Specific genetic polymorphisms in human populations
change their metabolic response to diet and influence the risk
patterns of disease
• Some SNPs change the recipe for the gene so that either a
different quantity of the protein is produced or the structure
of the protein molecule is altered
Nutrition-gene interaction
1. Direct interactions: Nutrients after interacting with a receptor,
behave as transcription factors that can bind to DNA and induce
gene expression
2. Epigenetic interactions: Nutrients can alter the structure of

DNA so that gene expression is altered
3. Genetic variation: Common genetic variations such as single-

nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can alter the expression or
functionality of genes.
Gene diet disease interaction
• Nutrigenetic diseases 97 per cent of the genes have known

to be associated with human diseases result in monogenic
diseases.
• Modifying the dietary intake can prevent some
monogenetic diseases e.g., in phenylketonuria (PKU) food
containing the amino acid phenylalanine,
--including high protein food such as fish, chicken, eggs,
milk, cheese, dried beans, nuts and tofu must be avoided
• In case of defective aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme,
alcohol must be avoided
• Patients having galactosemia (lack of a liver enzyme to
digest galactose) should avoid diets which contain lactose
or galactose, including milk and milk products
Nutrigenomics and obesity
A study by Williams et al. (Am J Clin Nutr, 82: 181-7, 2005) attempted the contribution of genes to body
weight and lipoprotein response
When 28 pairs of monozygotic twins are a high carbohydrate diet for six weeks then switched to high fat diet
In the study, one twin was sedentary and the other run an average of 50km/wk more
than the sedentary twin which allowed researchers to assess the interaction of diet and exercise on
genetic response
Results showed that decreasing dietary fat intake significantly decreased HDL and plasma Apo A-I
levels in both the sedentary and running twin. LDL particles also increased significantly.
“The lipoprotein responses to the diets were not significantly different

between the
running and sedentary twins” which indicates that genetic rather than environmental
influences may have greater impact on blood lipids.
Nutrigenomics and T2DM
Sensitive genotype
Metabolic stress Obesity Inflammation

Progressive phenotype
Molecular mechanism
Insulin resistance
Glucose intolerance
Metabolic syndrome
Type 2 DM
Nutrigenomics and CVD
• Some of these variants are susceptible for dietary

intervention, for example:
Individuals with the E4 allele in the apolipoprotein E
gene show higher LDL levels with increased dietary fat
intake compared with those with other (E1, E2 and E3)
alleles receiving equivalent amounts of dietary fat.
• One single nucleotide polymorphism (-75G/A) in the

apoprotein A1 gene in women is associated with an
increase in HDL levels with the increase in the dietary
intake of PUFA.
Conti…
• Individuals with the A variant showed an increase in
the protective HDL levels following increased
consumption of PUFA compared with those with the
G Variant taking similar amount of PUFA.
• One polymorphism (-515 CC) in the hepatic lipase

gene is associated with an increase in protective HDL
levels compared with the TT genotype (common in
certain ethnic groups such as African-Americans) in
response to high fat diet.

Hypertension
• However, no evidence of the interactions between

polymorphic variants of these genes and dietary
factors are available.
• On the other hand sodium transport/metabolism-

related genes such as those encoding epithelial
sodium channel (ENaC) subunits, adducin, and 11
B-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase are certainly of
interest, given well-proven association between
dietary salt intake and hypertension.
Nutrigenomics and cancer
• Inherited mutations in genes can increase one’s susceptibility for

cancer. The risk of developing cancer can be markedly increased if
there is a gene diet interaction.
• Studies of twins show that the likelihood of identical twins

developing the same cancer is less than 10%, indicating that the
environment plays an important role in cancer Susceptibility.
• It is clear that carcinogen metabolism-affecting polymorphisms

may modify probability of contact between carcinogens and target
cells, thus acting at the stage of cancer initiation.
Diet and increased risk of cancer
• There is an increase risk of colorectal cancer with

high consumption of red meat.
• Specific dietary irritants, such as salt and

preservatives have been suggested as being
carcinogens for gastric cancer.
• It was reported that a stronger relationship existed between
the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in Sudanese
population and consumption of peanut butter with aflatoxins
with the glutathione S-transferase M1 null genotype
compared to those lacking the genotype.
• It is now accepted that a person's state-of-health arises from
the dynamic interaction of environmental factors with his or
her genetic uniqueness. These factors can positively or
negatively impact the extent to which people will realize their
genetic potential
Advantages of Nutrigenomics
• Increased focus on a healthy diet and lifestyle

• Increased awareness of risk of certain
conditions
• Improved health quantity of life
• Focus on prevention of diseases
• Decreased morbidity and premature mortality
• Reduced health care costs
• Better understanding of the mechanisms
involved in disease susceptibility
Disadvantages of Nutrigenomics
• Attention is drawn away from other modifiable

risk factors
• Focus only specific nutrients/foods
• Misleading claims
• Increased costs associated with personalized
diets and designer foods
References
• http://nutrigenomics.ucdavis.edu/
• https://www.google.co.in
• Kathleen L M and Sylvia E (2008) edn 12,
Krause’s Food and Nutrition Therapy, p.365
Thank you

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Incorporating genetics into dietary guidelines

• The study of the consequences of the influence of

• “Seeks to examine dietary signatures in cells,

• “The interface between the nutritional environment

• Nutrigenomics is a branch of nutritional genomics and is

• Nutrigenomics is establishing the effects of

• Nutrigenetics identifies how the genetic make up of

• It also reveals why and how people respond

i. Improper diets are risk factors for disease.

ii. Dietary chemicals alter gene expression and /or

iii. The degree to which diet influences the balance

iv. Some diet-regulated genes are likely to play a role in

1. Specific dietary profiles can modulate the delicate balance

2. The individual genetic makeup, that is , the presence of

3. Personalized diets, which take into account individual

• Genes express themselves through proteins. Enzymes are special

• Most of the genes have small sequence differences –

2. Epigenetic interactions: Nutrients can alter the structure of

3. Genetic variation: Common genetic variations such as single-

• Nutrigenetic diseases 97 per cent of the genes have known

“The lipoprotein responses to the diets were not significantly different

Metabolic stress Obesity Inflammation

• Some of these variants are susceptible for dietary

• One single nucleotide polymorphism (-75G/A) in the

• One polymorphism (-515 CC) in the hepatic lipase

response to high fat diet.

• However, no evidence of the interactions between

• On the other hand sodium transport/metabolism-

• Inherited mutations in genes can increase one’s susceptibility for

• Studies of twins show that the likelihood of identical twins

• It is clear that carcinogen metabolism-affecting polymorphisms

• There is an increase risk of colorectal cancer with

• Specific dietary irritants, such as salt and

• Increased focus on a healthy diet and lifestyle

• Attention is drawn away from other modifiable

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