Applying Genomics to Nutrition and Lifestyle Modification

Personalized nutrition aims to prevent the onset and development of chronic diseases by targeting dietary recommendations to an individual's genetic profile. Gene-diet interactions that affect metabolic pathways relevant to disease risk are continuously being uncovered. Discoveries in the field of nutrigenomics demonstrate that some individuals may benefit from adhering to different dietary guidelines than others, depending on their genotype. Certain industries have already begun to capitalize on the anticipation that knowledge of genomic information could help prevent the risk of developing diseases. Although disclosure of genetic information has been associated with the adoption of positive health-related behaviors under certain circumstances, the effect of providing gene-based dietary advice on motivating adherence to favorable dietary changes is largely unknown.