Why is Nutrigenomics such an exciting and emerging health topic? Because we all have slightly different genetic variations – and these can change the extent to which different foods or nutrients can be helpful or harmful to us as individuals. These gene variations change our susceptibility to different diseases and can make certain dietary changes dramatically more important for one person than another.
This is the first of a series of articles on the field of Nutrigenomics. The study and inclusion of Nutrigenomics is surely part of the future for pro-active, personalised, predictive and preventative healthcare. This article is kindly provided by nutritional therapist Katie Clare, and it is a fascinating read for both professional health practitioners and anyone interested in their health.
The future of healthcare is moving towards an increasingly personalised approach where we treat individuals differently, based on their unique needs. People are living longer lives now and this brings with it a focus on strategies for prediction, prevention and of being pro-active. Our society wants optimal health and longevity. We have gone way beyond merely treating symptoms once diseases have fully manifested inside the body.
Environment and genetics – intertwined factors in health
Individuality in both health and disease is thought to be determined by two fundamental and intertwined factors; environment and genetics. Environment covers many aspects of the life we live including diet, lifestyle, toxicity levels, stress levels, wear and tear on the body and also infections.
There has always been a lot of focus on this as we have been able to see, understand and measure these different variables and make conclusions based on our findings. For example we may say that a Mediterranean Diet, adjusted for the increased stress and toxicity levels of today, is superior to other diets for cardiovascular health, based on research into meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. However as well as environmental factors we now also have genetic predisposition to consider and to incorporate into this research. It allows us to go a step deeper for each individual.
DNA – our own digital code
Genetic material, DNA, is digital information like a computer code. Until society had learnt how a digital system worked and how to ‘compute’ data we had no chance of understanding this genetic material. The long strands of sugar molecules, making up the two sides of the famous double helix structure were actually discovered in 1860, but with the purely analogue world view held at that time society couldn’t work out how this could be such important information. It wasn’t until the beginnings of the digital age that the penny dropped, in 1953, and we were able to unwrap our own digital code.
Genetic variations – changing the way we function
Subtle differences in our individual DNA change the way we function in discrete ways. Part of this effect can be how we each adapt to specific environmental conditions. These small genetic variations are very different to actual genetic disorders, such as Down’s syndrome where a whole chromosome is affected. A chromosome contains many thousands of genes whereas the genetic variations discussed in nutrigenomics are normally just a tiny change in one specific gene.
A genetic variation is called a polymorphism when more than 1% of the population is known to have that same genetic change. Polymorphisms can be very common though and some could be carried by up to 50% of the population. The most common type of polymorphism is called a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP -which is pronounced ‘snip’). This means that just one of the letters, the chemical bases of the DNA, either an A, T, C or G, is different. So for example an ‘A’ may have been replaced with a ‘T.’ As these letters code for different amino acids, changing one to another may result in a different amino acid being slotted into a bodily structure as it is being built. This will then change the structure and function of what has been created. For example one of the most discussed SNPs, MTHFR, effects how the body metabolises folic acid.
These genetic differences don’t actually cause disease or health, they just alter our susceptibility to our environment and therefore different health and disease outcomes. The media often distorts these new discoveries with headlines such as ‘gene discovered that causes obesity’ but this is not really how it works. The universe is more like a big cauldron within which genetic variations and the many environmental influences are all in the mix together.
It actually makes a lot of sense for nature to create genetic variation by design, rather than by it being a mistake in the DNA replication process or a bad thing to have happened. Nobody would buy six lottery tickets with the same number on, so why would nature want to make all of its new humans with the same susceptibility to the environmental conditions that we may face?
Over time particular genetic variations may become more or less prevalent depending on survival rates and other factors. However whilst genetic variation is good for the overall survival of our species it may not be so beneficial for each individual’s actual health. Not everybody can have the winning lottery ticket and instead people may find that their genetic variations could be contributing towards the symptoms that they are experiencing. A genetic variation that would really help someone to survive in a time of scarcity might not be so beneficial when food is available everywhere and at any time.
Personalising nutrition
Two people may have the same early warning signs of a particular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure markers but choosing the best course of action for them could depend, partly, on their individual genetic variations. One of these people could have the genetic variation needed to make a week long, low calorie, vegetable juice fast a great way to reduce their triglyceride levels. However the other person could have a genetic variety making them very sensitive to carbohydrates, only leading to increased triglycerides as a result.
Another example is osteoporosis, a disease effecting around a quarter of menopausal women in the UK. Testing for genetic variations can identify individual variations on bone reabsorption, vitamin D receptor function, bone collagen formation as well as relevant inflammatory mechanisms. It is thought that around half of the UK population have a genetic variation meaning that they don’t actually respond very well to increased levels of calcium, currently one of the first lines of treatment offered to everybody for osteoporosis. If it was known that somebody had this genetic variation then other treatment options available could be investigated straight away.
Detoxification and biotransformation are hot topics in nutrition and nutrigenomics is very useful here too. Glutathione is known as the body’s master anti-oxidant compound, yet there are three types of related SNPs which will alter how the process functions. Understanding them uncovers part of an individual’s susceptibility to diseases such as various cancers. For somebody with a particular SNP consumption of garlic could be three times more protective against cancer than it is for somebody else with a different glutathione variation. Consumption of brassicas works in the same way, just how protective it is depends on your particular genetic variations. It’s important to remember though that both garlic and brassicas have many more benefits to health than just being part of a cancer-protective strategy and so it would continue to be a good idea to eat them.
If an individual did find out that their glutathione pathways were not able to work as efficiently as they would like, due to particular SNPs, then they could benefit from this information by accessing support for their body in other ways; such as using supportive detoxifying nutrients like N-acetyl cysteine or milk thistle. They might also want to ensure that all of the co-factors needed for the detoxification pathway were fully topped up, this means B vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper and selenium.
This is truly personalised nutrition, allowing both practitioners and individuals to more effectively prioritise the dietary changes to be made and to decide which supplements will be of most use. Understanding genetic predisposition removes some of the guess work and the experimentation involved. These new discoveries really are great news for proactive people who want to minimise their health risks and optimise their health.
A new trend in USA is to send away cord blood samples from a child’s birth for DNA analysis so that the parents are aware, from the very beginning of their child’s life, of ways that they can direct their actions towards optimising their child’s wellbeing. Genetic testing can also be of great importance to people with a family history of disease such as heart disease or colon cancer. Thirdly, in complicated and challenging health cases genetic profiles can help unfold the story to a deeper level, providing new options and ideas.
Main topics in nutrigenomics
In particular individual genetic variations can influence:
- Detoxification capacity
- Immune system and inflammatory responses
- Oestrogen metabolism; effecting susceptibility to certain cancers, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease
- Cardiovascular health
- Nervous system health; such as developmental issues, mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders
By Katie Clare
mBANT CNHC
Based on the seminar ‘Clinical Applications of Nutrigenomics’ by Michael Culp.
Katie Clare is a qualified nutritional therapist – She runs courses, and is available for consultations, on nutrition and wellbeing in Islington, where she is a resident nutritional therapist. Katie is a member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) and registered with the Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
Many thanks to Katie for this in-depth and informative article. As noted in the introduction this is the first of a series of articles on Nutrigenomics including the application of Nutrigenomics in health practice and more detailed areas such as methylation, detoxification, cardiogenomics, cancer predisposition (etc.).
If you want to be alerted by email when a new post is published simply add your email address in the ‘Get The Latest Post By Email’ in the right-hand column. If you have any questions regarding this article, any of the health topics raised, or any other health matters please do contact me (Amanda) by phone or email at any time.
Amanda Williams,
Cytoplan
amanda@cytoplan.co.uk,
01684 310099
Last updated on 5th March 2020 by cytoffice
Great article by Katie. Thank you very much for providing such an insightful and thorough understanding of SNP testing and its relationship to nutrition and optimal health.
Very interesting reading. Will certainly be interested in reading anything else you have. Many thanks.
I found your article very interesting. How could I contact you regarding a consultation . jo Harris
Dear Jo, If it is a general consultation regarding nutritional health we offer a free and confidential health appraisal together with advice on lifestyle, diet and supplements; find the information here – http://www.cytoplan.co.uk/Health-Questionnaire/ – or email me and I will forward the details.
If it is Nutrigenomics that you are specifically interested in, at this stage in the UK it is very much in its infancy. As far as a consultation is concerned there is someone in London we could suggest. At a later date (following qualifications) we will have people that can suitably advise and no doubt in general there will be more qualified practitioners coming ‘on stream’ over the coming months. Do please email me if you would like the London details.
Many thanks for your interest and comments,
Amanda Williams, Cytoplan; amanda@cytoplan.co.uk (01684 310099)
Nutrigenomics! Personalised nutrition This is really exciting stuff.
So from this article there is little point in taking supplements because you don’t know if they are helping on not. If anything are they doing harm to our body systems and balances by non-absorption promoting additional excretion and work for our body systems?
A personal response, not a scientific one. I find that a supplement often works so gently that it is difficult to assess its effect. However, when it is stopped the result can be much more obvious, giving a clue as to whether it has been working for you.
I also (dare I say this on a scientific site?) find that a kinesiologist can frequently assess your requirements and whether a particular supplement is what your body needs or, additionally, whether you have a sensitivity to – for example – wheat or dairy. Yes – I don’t know how it works either, but it has for me.
Dear Fliss,
Nutritional supplements taken to make up for known shortfalls are always beneficial. If the supplements are in a natural form they will be utilised. If people carry certain genetic variations they might need higher levels of certain nutrients to meet their individual needs. This should be apparent if they do not respond as one would expect from normal levels of supplements, or indeed they could have a genetic test which would identify this in advance of problems.
We always advocate a personalised approach for people considering taking any supplement. Advice can thus be tailored based on a person’s age, gender, pre-existing conditions etc. For example we offer a free and confidential health appraisal for individuals; find the information here – http://www.cytoplan.co.uk/Health-Questionnaire/ .
I would like to reiterate to you (and anyone else interested) that I am delighted to try and help further. If you wish do contact me directly with the details below.
Amanda Williams, Cytoplan; amanda@cytoplan.co.uk (01684 310099)
What is the research if any on the supplement vitamin D to aid calcium at absorption please
Dear Fliss,
Vitamin D has a number of permitted health claims from the regulatory authority EFSA (The European Food Safety Authority) including ‘Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption /utilisation of calcium and phosphorus’. It is an established physiological fact that vitamin D is needed for calcium uptake and such information can be found on many websites such as the NHS.
In terms of this topic and Nutrigenomics the article says if you carry a certain polymorphism you do not absorb calcium well because in fact you do not uptake vitamin D well. The evidence for these people is that they need very high levels of vitamin D, in the range of 10,000i.u. per day.
I would be delighted to try and help further if you would like; so do please contact me if you wish.
Many thanks for your interesting comment.
Amanda Williams, Cytoplan; amanda@cytoplan.co.uk (01684 310099)
Hi,does anyone practise neutrogenics in the UK? I would be very interested in what it entails.
Kind Regards
Hi Marie, Nutrigenomics in the UK is very much in its infancy. As far as a consultation is concerned there is someone in London we could suggest. At a later date (following qualifications) we will have people that can suitably advise and no doubt in general there will be more qualified practitioners coming ‘on stream’ over the coming months throughout the UK. Do please email me if you would like the London details or if you would like me to re-contact you in the future when we can specifically help.
Many thanks for your interest in the blog and the comment,
Amanda Williams, Cytoplan; amanda@cytoplan.co.uk (01684 310099)
Here is a very interesting concept, proposed to me by an elderly (90+) lady who was still hale and hearty. She maintained that we should only ever eat food which had been grown in the area in which we were born – and presumably raised. She followed this advice and it worked for her. And it does seem to make a sort of sense. Perhaps something to be investigated further?
Regarding calcium and vitamin D, vitamin K2 is also important for their absorption. When vitamin D is made by sun exposure this isn’t so important, but oral vitamin D creates proteins which need to be activated by vitamin K2 in order to move the calcium around and distribute it to the bones, rather than the wrong places such as joints or arteries. Although K1 is found in green vegetables, K2 isn’t found in many foods – mainly fermented foods – and often has to be supplemented.
I find via kinesiology that many people are sensitive to particular vitamins or minerals and, if this is the case, these nutrients won’t be absorbed properly, either from food or supplements, though my work involves treatments to eliminate sensitivities and help absorption. Hence it is important to check that supplements are suitable and being absorbed, or they can cause toxicity.
Dear Meg,
Thank you so much for the informative comments. I would agree with what you have said in regards to vitamin K – we have an excellent article for those interested which also covers the differences between k1 and k2 (https://blog.cytoplan.co.uk/2013/04/10/vitamin-k/). At Cytoplan our vitamins and minerals are either in a ‘Food State’ or ‘Wholefood’ form and this maximises their uptake and use by the body. As the nutrients are in a food based form the body accepts them and utilises them as such.
Thanks again for the feedback. Amanda x
Nordic Labs have already trained up practitioners on how to use their DNA tests, info on the tests here: nordiclabs.com/EProduct.aspx?id=123 I qualified this year following a 4 day training and it’s proving invaluable. Great article Katie!
Dear Petronella,
Thanks so much for the feedback on the article. Nutrigenomics is such an exciting and emerging topic and at Cytoplan we look forward to increasing our education and skills in this field. We look forward to many more articles in the future. Thanks again for your interest in the Cytoplan blog. Amanda x