| |
Click here to login or subscribe
|
October, 2009 - VOL. 8, NO. 5 | |
October, 2009 |
| Nutrigenomics: The Potential to Optimize Phenotype with SNP-Based Dietary Recommendations |
| Lara Pizzorno, MA, LMT |
| In the individual, diet/nutrient-gene interactions are significantly impacted by common DNA sequence variations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs alter the expression or activity level (ie, the Michaelis constant, KM) of gene products, resulting in altered metabolism of and altered dietary requirements for nutrients, and can increase disease risk. However, whether one's genetic potential for health or harm will manifest as a phenotype is decided by the interplay among genes, diet, and lifestyle. Genes determine the range of possibilities, but nutrition and lifestyle choices significantly impact which genetic options are expressed, and thereby influence whether individuals attain the optimal, normal, or detrimental potential in their genetic inheritance.
Nutrigenomic profiling can already identify SNPs that underlie individual variations in key nutrient requirements, as well as the likelihood of a positive response to specific dietary interventions. This article provides an introduction to several SNPs with well-documented effects on nutrient requirements and suggests how clinicians might begin to utilize the available data in this rapidly developing field to meet patients' unique needs.
|
| read entire article... |
|
