Does Your Diet Fit Your DNA?

Cholesterol and blood pressureWhy do cholesterol-rich foods cause blood cholesterol to rise only in some people? Why does a salty

diet raise blood pressure in some, but not in others? Why does a high-carb diet help some people stay

thin and healthy, while it causes others to gain weight and develop high blood triglycerides? Genetic

factors play a major role – and scientists are gaining insights into how and why.

This field of research is called nutritional genomics (or nutrigenomics or nutrigenetics). Its goal is to

devise nutritional guidelines based on genetic information in order to prevent, delay, or treat disorders

such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and perhaps even cancer. Scientists are trying

to develop genetic tests that would help determine which foods or nutrients you should eat or avoid to

reduce your special risks.

For instance, a large Harvard study in the journal BMJ in 2014 suggested that when people with certain

genetic variants eat lots of fried foods, they gain more weight than those without the variants. And

some small studies found that people with a certain genetic profile need higher-than-normal intakes of

folate (a B vitamin) and that this may affect their risk of cancer or heart disease.

Optimal dietIn 2013, in a follow-up to a major clinical trial on the Mediterranean diet published in Diabetes Care,

researchers identified a clear gene-diet interaction. In people with two copies of a genetic variant

strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, the Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of stroke to the same

level as that of people with one or no copies of the variant. In the control group, who ate a diet that was

less Mediterranean, those with two copies of the variant were almost three times more likely to have a

stroke. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet also helped counter the adverse effect of having two

copies of the gene variant on levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and triglycerides.

For now, nutrigenomics is in its infancy and much remains to be learned. Genetic profiles may reveal

significant associations with various risks in large population studies, but so far have poor predictive

value for any given person. Someday, however, it may be possible to have your genes analyzed to

determine the optimal diet just for you.

Source: http://www.irwand.info

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