Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Genes, Nutrition and Health Symposium was held in collaboration with the Center of Excellence in Nutritional Genomics, University of California at Davis to introduce science writers to the new study of nutrigenomics. The educational event featured Jim Kaput, PhD, a leading figure in nutritional genomics, who spoke about how foods affect our genes and how individual genetic differences affect the way we respond to nutrients in foods. Dr. Kaput is senior scientist and science coordinator for NCMHD Center of Excellence in Nutritional Genomics (CENG), University of California at Davis, director of the Laboratory of Nutrigenomic Medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago, and scientific advisor to NuGO (the European Nutrigenomics Organization).

According to Dr. Kaput, the conceptual basis for this new branch of genomic research can best be summarized by what he calls the Five Tenets of Nutrigenomics:

  1. Improper diets are risk factors for diseases;
  2. Dietary chemicals alter gene expression and/or genome structure;
  3. Influence of diet on health depends upon an individual’s genetic makeup;
  4. Genes regulated by diet play a role in chronic diseases; and
  5. “Individualized nutrition”—diets based upon genotype, nutritional requirements and status—prevents and mitigates chronic disease.

“Applying the concepts of nutrigenomics to individuals is challenging because of the diversity of genetic makeup and individual responses to the complexity of foods,” said Dr. Kaput. “The latest research in genetics has demonstrated that gene-gene interactions, called epistasis, alter SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) associations with chronic disease outcomes and may alter responses to food.

“While this field is being applied first to health care for the diagnoses and treatments of chronic diseases, and to personal nutrition for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases,” he said, “we foresee that the application of nutrigenomics to the consumer food market will be occurring over the next five to ten years. The applications may appear to segment the consumer market, but the products that will be developed will be of high value; they will be capable of delivering the right nutrients to the right person at each stage of the life cycle.”

The scientist assured the attendees that the potential increased cost of such products will likely be offset by reduced costs for health care for the individual and for society. The common factors in these different applications are genetic testing to assess needs and the matching of genetic makeup to foods or food supplements.

Dr. Kaput said that although the promise of nutritional genomics has been well accepted by many scientists, converting the science to medical and food products for consumers remains a significant challenge. “While individual genes and their variants have been linked to specific foods or nutrients, an individual dietary chemical may interact with many other gene products in the course of absorption, transport and metabolism,” he said. “Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions that alter biological processes may change gene variant-nutrient associations differently among persons of different ancestral backgrounds.”

Since many nutrigenomic and nutrigenetic experiments are not testing doses yet, scientists still don’t know how much of a nutrient is needed for a biological effect in an individual. However, answers will be forthcoming, since researchers around the world have initiated an international Nutrigenomics Society that will enable collaborations among various research groups in the near future.