ABSTRACT
The interaction of nutrition with the human genome and the microbiome has attracted a great deal of attention in the last decade. The sequencing of the human genome was followed by the discovery that our bodies are covered with trillions of bacteria, and their genome outnumbers our own. Our understanding of the functioning of the genome has advanced far beyond the idea of a basic code for amino acids to an understanding of gene–gene, gene–nutrient, microRNA (miRNA), and epigenetic regulation of gene expression, with many of these processes influenced by nutrition. It is clear that gene sequencing is useful for the diagnosis of genetic diseases, but it is not ready for application in providing point-of-service personalization in diets to reduce age-related chronic diseases, as imagined by some commercial promoters who offered analysis of common genetic polymorphisms based on a sputum sample, followed by dietary recommendations. However, it is clear that what we already know about gene–nutrient interaction underscores the importance of an integrated approach to diet and lifestyle change in primary care practice.
