Academic literature on the topic 'Nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition'

Nutrigenomics is a new and promising development in nutritional science which aims to understand the fundamental molecular processes affected by foods. Despite general agreement on its promise for better understanding diet–health relationships, less consensus exists among experts on the potential of spin-offs aimed at the consumer such as personalised nutrition. Research into consumer acceptance of such applications is scarce. The present study develops a set of key hypotheses on public acceptance of personalised nutrition and tests these in a representative sample of Dutch consumers. An innovative consumer research methodology is used in which consumers evaluate short films which are systematically varied scenarios for the future of personalised nutrition. Consumer evaluations of these films, which are pre-tested in a pilot study, allow a formal test of how consumer perceptions of personalised nutrition drive consumer acceptance and through which fundamental psychological processes these effects are mediated. Public acceptance is enhanced if consumers can make their genetic profile available free at their own choice, if the actual spin-off products provide a clearly recognisable advantage to the consumer, and are easy to implement into the daily routine. Consumers prefer communication on nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition by expert stakeholders to be univocal and aimed at building support with consumers and their direct environments for this intriguing new development. Additionally, an exploratory segmentation analysis indicated that people have different focal points in their preferences for alternative scenarios of personalised nutrition. The insights obtained from the present study provide guidance for the successful further development of nutrigenomics and its applications.

The efficacy by which dietary interventions influence risk markers of multi-factorial diseases is mainly determined by taking population-based approaches. However, there exists considerable inter-individual variation in response to dietary interventions, and some interventions may benefit certain individuals or population subgroups more than others. This review evaluates the application of nutrigenomic technologies to further the concept of personalised nutrition, as well as the process to take personalised nutrition to the marketplace. The modulation of an individual's response is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Many nutrigenetics studies have attempted to explain variability in responses based on a single or a few genotypes so that a genotype may be used to define personalised dietary advice. It has, however, proven very challenging to define an individual's responsiveness to complex diets based on common genetic variations. In addition, there is a limited understanding of what constitutes an optimal response because we lack key health biomarkers and signatures. In conclusion, advances in nutrigenomics will undoubtedly further the understanding of the complex interplay between genotype, phenotype and environment, which are required to enhance the development of personalised nutrition in the future. At the same time, however, issues relating to consumer acceptance, privacy protection as well as marketing and distribution of personalised products need to be addressed before personalised nutrition can become commercially viable.

Nutritional Genomics or nutrigenetics/nutrigenomics is an emerging area of research aiming to delineate the interplay between nutrients intake and the reciprocal pathologies with the human genome. Coupled with other omics disciplines, such as metabolomics, proteomics and transcriptomics, nutrigenomics aspires to individualize nutrition, reminiscent of pharmacogenomics and the individualization of drug use. Here, we provide an overview of a session focused on nutrigenomics, organized in conjunction with the Panhellenic Bioscientists Association during the First Greek National Personalised Medicine Conference in Athens, Greece on 15 December 2019.

The notion of educating the public through generic healthy eating messages has pervaded dietary health promotion efforts over the years and continues to do so through various media, despite little evidence for any enduring impact upon eating behaviour. There is growing evidence, however, that tailored interventions such as those that could be delivered online can be effective in bringing about healthy dietary behaviour change. The present paper brings together evidence from qualitative and quantitative studies that have considered the public perspective of genomics, nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition, including those conducted as part of the EU-funded Food4Me project. Such studies have consistently indicated that although the public hold positive views about nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition, they have reservations about the service providers’ ability to ensure the secure handling of health data. Technological innovation has driven the concept of personalised nutrition forward and now a further technological leap is required to ensure the privacy of online service delivery systems and to protect data gathered in the process of designing personalised nutrition therapies.

The concept that interactions between nutrition and genetics determine phenotype was established by Garrod at the beginning of the 20th century through his ground-breaking work on inborn errors of metabolism. A century later, the science and technologies involved in sequencing of the human genome stimulated development of the scientific discipline which we now recognise as nutritional genomics (nutrigenomics). Much of the early hype around possible applications of this new science was unhelpful and raised expectations, which have not been realised as quickly as some would have hoped. However, major advances have been made in quantifying the contribution of genetic variation to a wide range of phenotypes and it is now clear that for nutrition-related phenotypes, such as obesity and common complex diseases, the genetic contribution made by SNP alone is often modest. There is much scope for innovative research to understand the roles of less well explored types of genomic structural variation, e.g. copy number variants, and of interactions between genotype and dietary factors, in phenotype determination. New tools and models, including stem cell-based approaches and genome editing, have huge potential to transform mechanistic nutrition research. Finally, the application of nutrigenomics research offers substantial potential to improve public health e.g. through the use of metabolomics approaches to identify novel biomarkers of food intake, which will lead to more objective and robust measures of dietary exposure. In addition, nutrigenomics may have applications in the development of personalised nutrition interventions, which may facilitate larger, more appropriate and sustained changes in eating (and other lifestyle) behaviours and help to reduce health inequalities.

Personalized Nutrition means in practice, adapting food to individual needs, depending on the host’s genome, this calls for an emerging field of nutrigenomic approach in order to build the tools for individualized diet, health maintenance and disease prevention. Based on this principle, breast milk is now being analyzed, modified and administered in smaller infants to provide them personalized diet, ensuring the premature infants are receiving correct amounts of nutrients they need to thrive. In the past, all milk was fortified to the same and it was ‘one-size-fits-all’. Now, nutrigenomics is moving towards having the ability to personalize each mother’s milk to give her baby precise nutrition he needs by stressing upon nutrition and interaction of three health relevant genomes in perspective, namely the food, the gut microbial and the human host genome in context of individualized nutrition and optimum health.

Background The traditional concept of personalized nutrition is based on adapting diets according to individual needs and preferences. Discussions about personalized nutrition have been on since the Human Genome Project, which has sequenced the human genome. Thenceforth, topics such as nutrigenomics have been assessed to help in better understanding the genetic variation influence on the dietary response and association between nutrients and gene expression. Hence, some challenges impaired the understanding about the nowadays important clinical data and about clinical data assumed to be important in the future. Objective Finding the main clinical statements in the personalized nutrition field (nutrigenomics) to create the future-proof health information system to the openEHR server based on archetypes, as well as a specific nutrigenomic template. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in electronic databases such as PubMed. The aim of this systemic review was to list the chief clinical statements and create archetype and templates for openEHR modeling tools, namely, Ocean Archetype Editor and Ocean Template Design. Results The literature search led to 51 articles; however, just 26 articles were analyzed after all the herein adopted inclusion criteria were assessed. Of these total, 117 clinical statements were identified, as well as 27 archetype-friendly concepts. Our group modeled four new archetypes (waist-to-height ratio, genetic test results, genetic summary, and diet plan) and finally created the specific nutrigenomic template for nutrition care. Conclusion The archetypes and the specific openEHR template developed in this study gave dieticians and other health professionals an important tool to their nutrigenomic clinical practices, besides a set of nutrigenomic data to clinical research.

Increasing level of public concerns about ageing and obesity problems accompanied by the advent of more and more health conscious consumers have put a priority on the health and wellness industry development which has started transformation from a niche category towards the mainstream. As a human being is an individual with unique known characteristics (like age, gender, health state, lifestyle) and less known characteristics like a genetic predisposition, the nutrition plan should be designed around these characteristics. Being aware of genetic predisposition of an individual allows to develop the appropriate health strategy for the particular individual. A systematization of these individual programs would support the development of a new generation of health practitioners. Russia is experiencing serious demographic problems with decreasing population and low life expectancy; high mortality rate from heart diseases and quite high obesity rates. It is expected that nutrigenomics concepts can be successfully developed in Russia due to its solid scientific base, relatively high level of medicine and the ever increasing awareness of the need for a healthy quality life especially within young generation. The goal of the thesis therefore is to analyze the key trends in the global and Russian food industries and develop a business idea of commercializing the personalized nutrition concept in the Russian food service market.

Hypertension is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality affecting approximately 1 billion people worldwide. Recently evidence has called for a more rigorous approach to lower blood pressure (BP) to levels below the current threshold. Thus, there is a clear need to identify new strategies for the prevention and treatment of hypertension including targeted, non-pharmacological approaches to reduce BP. A common polymorphism (C677T) in the folate metabolising enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) has been associated with hypertension. Furthermore, in three randomised controlled trials previously conducted at this centre riboflavin (required as a cofactor for MTHFR) has been shown to effectively lower BP in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertensive patients homozygous for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism (TT genotype) in premature CVD and hypertensive patients. No previous study has however considered the BP lowering effect of riboflavin at a higher dose than previously used (1.6mg/d), or indeed considered how this novel option might translate to patient care. Finally the role of this polymorphism in the development of hypertension over time has not been previously considered. The aim of this thesis therefore was to investigate the role of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and its interaction with riboflavin, in determining BP in generally healthy adults, and to consider the implications of this gene-nutrient interaction for a personalised nutrition approach to managing hypertension. The findings from a 10-year follow up study provide evidence that adults with the TT genotype had a higher systolic BP than those with the CC/CT genotypes at any given age from 40-65 years. Furthermore, individuals with the TT genotype had a BP in the hypertensive category at a younger age, an effect that appears to be significantly influenced by riboflavin, with the highest BP in adults with the TT genotype in combination with low riboflavin status (ft =0.155, P <0.034). In a randomised controlled trial, that investigated the BP lowering of riboflavin, preliminary findings suggest that the BP response to riboflavin may be strongest in younger adults (<55 years) and in females, but this requires further investigation and no firm conclusions can be made until this trial reaches completion (mid 2016). The GPs and genetically at-risk adults investigated reported a positive attitude towards the novel role of riboflavin in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. In conclusion, the MTHFR 677TT genotype is an important determinant of BP, furthermore in these genetically at risk individuals riboflavin offers a novel preventive and a treatment option for hypertension.

Diet and lifestyle factors are well documented for their impact on health and wellbeing. Epigenetics provides the added connection between personal genetics and environmental factors, including food, interacting with health and disease. Functional foods is a growth area of food development, augmentation and supplementation. However, more scientific validation of the claims made for functional foods and functional components is required to properly inform consumers and healthcare practitioners. There is also growing consumer acceptance of personalised genetic analysis for health and wellbeing. The commerciality of providing cost-effective genetic diet and lifestyle advice is a new and developing area in the health industry. All diseases have a genetic link, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are discovering genetic variations linked to complex diseases. However, nutrient information is absent for the development of dietary advice and the management and prevention of disease. The development of nutrigenomics provides information on the gene/nutrient interaction essential for the design of personalised nutrition. Functional nutrition from a combination of personalised genetic analysis and nutrigenomic interventions, represent an important new nexus for improving public health and the future of disease prevention.

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Purpose – Randomised controlled trials identify causal links between variables but not why an outcome has occurred. This analysis sought to determine how psychological factors assessed at baseline influenced response to personalised nutrition. Design/methodology/approach – Web-based, randomised, controlled trial (RCT) was conducted across seven European countries. Volunteers, both male and female, aged over 18 years were randomised to either a non-personalised (control) or a personalised (treatment) dietary advice condition. Linear mixed model analysis with fixed effects was used to compare associations between internal and external health locus of control (HLoC), nutrition self-efficacy (NS-E) and self-report habit index (S-RHI) at baseline (N 5 1444), with healthy eating index (HEI) and Mediterranean diet index (MDI) scores between conditions post-intervention (N 5 763). Findings – An increase in MDI scores was observed between baseline and six months in the treatment group which was associated with higher NS-E (p
EU FP7 Project “Personalised nutrition: an integrated analysis of opportunities and challenges” (Contract No. KBBE. 2010.2.3–02, Project No. 265494)

Yes
Purpose – Randomised controlled trials identify causal links between variables but not why an outcome has occurred. This analysis sought to determine how psychological factors assessed at baseline influenced response to personalised nutrition. Design/methodology/approach – Web-based, randomised, controlled trial (RCT) was conducted across seven European countries. Volunteers, both male and female, aged over 18 years were randomised to either a non-personalised (control) or a personalised (treatment) dietary advice condition. Linear mixed model analysis with fixed effects was used to compare associations between internal and external health locus of control (HLoC), nutrition self-efficacy (NS-E) and self-report habit index (S-RHI) at baseline (N 5 1444), with healthy eating index (HEI) and Mediterranean diet index (MDI) scores between conditions post-intervention (N 5 763). Findings – An increase in MDI scores was observed between baseline and six months in the treatment group which was associated with higher NS-E (p
EU FP7 Project “Personalised nutrition: an integrated analysis of opportunities and challenges” (Contract No. KBBE. 2010.2.3–02, Project No. 265494)

To help mitigate the escalating prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and alleviate society of its associated morbidity and economic burden on health care, it is crucial to understand its aetiology. Both genetic and the environmental risk factors are known to be involved. Healthy diets have been proven to reduce the risk of T2D in primary prevention trials, however, which components and exact mechanisms are involved is not fully understood, in particular, the role of macronutrient intake. Body weight, glycaemic markers and T2D are all to some extent genetically regulated. There may also be genetic influences on how people digest, absorb or metabolise macronutrients. This poses the possibility that the interplay between genes and our diet may help us unravel T2D’s aetiology. The aim of this PhD was to investigate gene-diet interactions on the risk of incident T2D, focusing primarily on macronutrient intake as the dietary factor. First, I systematically evaluated the current evidence before taking a step-wise approach (hypothesis driven to hypothesis-free) to interrogate gene-macronutrient interactions. This identified 13 publications, with 8 unique interactions reported between macronutrients (carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, dietary fibre, and glycaemic load derived from self-report of dietary intake and circulating n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) and genetic variants in or near TCF7L2, GIPR, CAV2 and PEPD (p < 0.05) on T2D. All studies were observational with moderate to serious risk of bias and limitations that included lack of adequate adjustment for confounders, lack of reported replication and insufficient correction for multiple testing. Second, these reported interactions did not replicate in a large European multi-centre prospective T2D case-cohort study called EPIC-InterAct. We concluded that the heterogeneity between our results and those published could be explained by methodological differences in dietary measurement, population under study, study design and analysis but also by the possibility of spurious interactions. Third, given the paucity of gene-macronutrient interaction research using genetic risk scores (GRS), we examined the interaction between three GRS (for BMI (97 SNPs), insulin resistance (53 SNPs) and T2D (48 SNPs)) and macronutrient intake (quantity and quality indicators) in EPIC-InterAct. We did not identify any statistically significant interactions that passed multiple testing corrections (p≥0.20, with a p value threshold for rejecting the null hypothesis of 0.0015 (based on 0.05/33 tests)). We also examined 15 foods and beverages identified as being associated with T2D, and no significant interactions were detected. Lastly, we applied a hypothesis-free method to examine gene-macronutrient interactions and T2D risk by using a genome-environment-wide-interaction-study. Preliminary findings showed no significant interactions for total carbohydrate, protein, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and cereal fibre intake on T2D. In conclusion, the consistently null findings in this thesis using a range of statistical approaches to examine interactions between genetic variants and macronutrient intake on the risk of developing T2D have two key implications. One, based on the specific interactions examined, this research does not confirm evidence for gene-diet interactions in the aetiology of T2D and two, this research suggests that the association between macronutrient intake and the risk of developing T2D does not differ by genotype.

Introdução: Poucos trabalhos correlacionam o perfil metabólico com o estado nutricional em crianças e adolescentes após intervenção dietética. Objetivos: Identificar, em uma população de indivíduos de 9 a 13 anos submetidos a uma intervenção nutricional, a existência de diferentes grupos metabólicos formados com base em dados bioquímicos (níveis de glicemia, colesterol total, triglicérides, VLDL colesterol, LDL colesterol e HDL colesterol) coletados em 3 momentos do estudo; e descrever a evolução longitudinal do perfil nutricional e metabólico destes grupos. Metodologia: Estudo clínico de intervenção auto-controlado, baseado na medida do perfil bioquímico (níveis de glicemia, colesterol total, triglicérides, VLDL colesterol, LDL colesterol e HDL colesterol) e do estado nutricional (antropometria, composição corporal e dados de ingestão alimentar) em três momentos: no início do estudo (antes de ser iniciada a intervenção), após seis semanas de suplementação de vitaminas e minerais e após outras seis semanas sem essa intervenção, para avaliar como um indivíduo, de 9 a 13 anos de idade responde à suplementação de múltiplos micronutrientes. O nível de atividade física praticado por esses indivíduos foi avaliado através do aparelho Bodybugg®. Resultados: Cento e trinta e seis indivíduos foram estudados até o terceiro momento do estudo. 43,4% eram do sexo masculino e 56,6% eram do sexo feminino. A média de idade foi de 11,39 ± 1,10 anos. A maioria dos participantes pertenciam ao estadiamento puberal 2 (43,4%) e 3 (35,3%). Em relação à classificação econômica dos participantes, a maioria pertencia à categoria B2 (38,2%) e C1 (26,5%). Do total da amostra estudada, no momento 1, 4,4% dos participantes apresentaram magreza grave; 5,9% apresentaram magreza, 41,9% estavam com o peso adequado, 22,8% tinham sobrepeso e 25% tinham obesidade. No momento 2, 3,7% dos participantes apresentaram magreza grave, 7,4% apresentavam magreza, 42,6% tinham o peso adequado, 22,1% tinham sobrepeso e 24,3% tinham obesidade e no momento 3, 3,7% dos participantes apresentaram magreza grave, 6,6% apresentavam magreza, 41,2% tinham o peso adequado, 22,8% tinham sobrepeso e 25,7% tinham obesidade. Em média encontramos: 3,7% dos participantes com magreza grave, 5,9% com magreza, 41,9% com peso adequado, 24,3% com sobrepeso e 24,3% com obesidade. Os participantes foram agrupados (clusterizados) utilizando-se como critério seu perfil metabólico (níveis de glicemia, colesterol total, triglicérides, VLDL colesterol, LDL colesterol e HDL colesterol) nos três momentos do estudo, por meio da técnica estatística K-cluster. O cluster 1 (n = 111) era composto por mais indivíduos do sexo feminino que o cluster 2 (n = 25) (p = 0,006) e apresentou melhor perfil metabólico (melhores valores para o perfil lipídico e de glicemia). Os indivíduos do cluster 1 também apresentaram menor peso, índice de massa corporal (IMC), circunferência da cintura (CC) e massa gorda (% peso) quando comparado aos participantes do cluster 2. A massa corporal magra (% peso) e a água corporal total (% peso) foram estatisticamente maiores nos participantes do cluster 1. A análise da ingestão habitual (por questionário de frequência alimentar - QFA) mostrou que os participantes do cluster 1 estavam ingerindo mais vitamina B2 e vitamina B6 quando comparados aos participantes do cluster 2 (p < 0.05). Houve menores valores para proteína C-reativa (PCR) e maiores valores para ferro sérico no cluster 1. A capacidade latente de ligação de ferro (UIBC) e leucócitos foram estatisticamente maiores no cluster 2. Não houve diferença entre o nível de atividade física praticado pelos dois clusters, ambos desempenhavam atividade física leve. A análise longitudinal mostrou que houve aumento de estatura e peso nos clusters 1 e 2. A avaliação longitudinal da ingestão habitual (QFA) no cluster 1 mostra redução da ingestão de energia, carboidrato, proteína e lipídio do momento 1 (M1) para momento 2 (M2) e momento 3 (M3). A suplementação de vitaminas mostrou resultados estatísticos significativos, consistentes com suplementação e wash out para a maioria das vitaminas e minerais nos clusters 1 e 2. A análise longitudinal (corrigindo para as variáveis idade, gênero, estadiamento puberal e ingestão de energia, carboidrato e lipídio) no cluster 1 mostrou que o colesterol total e a LDL diminuíram ao longo do estudo; a glicemia diminuiu do momento 1 para o momento 2, porém PCR aumentou no momento 2; ferro sérico e hemoglobina diminuíram no momento 2 e aumentaram no momento 3. No cluster 2, o colesterol total e o LDL diminuíram ao longo do estudo; a PCR aumentou ao longo do estudo, ferro sérico diminuiu do momento 1 para o momento 2. Conclusões: Foram encontrados dois grupos metabólicos opostos. Os indivíduos podem responder de forma diferente a uma mesma intervenção e é possível que a suplementação de múltiplos micronutrientes tenha um papel na melhora do perfil glicídico e lipídico de alguns sujeitos do estudo. Estudos de genotipagem e proteômica poderão reforçar esta hipótese e ajudar a entender como o sistema biológico de crianças e adolescentes interage para culminar em uma resposta frente a uma intervenção.
Introduction: Few studies have correlated metabolic profile and nutritional status in children and adolescents after dietary intervention . Objectives: To identify the existence of different metabolic groups formed by individuals 9-13 years undergoing nutritional intervention through biochemical data (glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol) collected in three stages of the study, and to describe the longitudinal evolution of the nutritional and metabolic profile in these groups. Methodology: Clinical intervention self-controlled study, based on measuring the biochemical profile (glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol) and nutritional status (anthropometry, body composition and dietary intake data) at three times: at baseline (before the intervention started), after six weeks of supplementation of vitamins and minerals and after more six weeks without this intervention, to assess how an individual, 9-13 years old answered the multiple micronutrient supplementation. Physical activity level was also assessed through a tool called bodybugg®. Results: One hundred and thirty six subjects were studied until the third moment of the data collection. 43.4% were male and 56.6% were female. The average age was 11.39 ± 1.10 years. Most participants belonged to pubertal stage 2 (43.4%) and 3 (35.3%). Regarding the economic status of the participants, the majority belonged to the category B2 (38.2%) and C1 (26.5%). Of the total sample, at moment 1, 4.4% of participants had severe underweight, 5.9% were underweight, 41.9% were with the proper weight, 22.8% were overweight and 25% were obese. At the moment 2, 3.7% of participants had severe underweight, 7.4% were underweight, 42.6% had normal weight, 22.1% were overweight and 24.3% were obese. And at the moment 3, 3.7% of participants had severe thinness, 6.6% were underweight, 41.2% had normal weight, 22.8% were overweight and 25.7% were obese. On average we found: 3.7% of participants with severe thinness, 5.9% with malnutrition, 41.9% with adequate weight, 24.3% overweight and 24.3% obese. The clustering of the participants used as criteria the metabolic profile (glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol) of the three stages of the study through the statistical approach K - cluster. Cluster 1 (n = 111) had a higher proportion of females when compared to cluster 2 (n = 25) (p = 0.006) and better metabolic profile (lipid and glycemia). Participants who had better metabolic profile (cluster 1) showed lower weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and fat mass (weight %) when compared to participants in cluster 2. Lean body mass (weight %) and total body water (% weight) were statistically higher in participants in cluster 1. The analysis of the habitual intake (food frequency questionnaire - FFQ) showed that participants in cluster 1 were had higher intake of vitamin B2 and vitamin B6 when compared to cluster 2 (p < 0,05). Cluster 1 also showed higher values C - reactive protein (CRP) and higher levels of iron. The latent capacity for iron binding (UIBC) and leukocytes were higher in cluster 2. There was no difference between the level of physical activity practiced by clusters 1 and 2, both had light physical activity. Longitudinal analysis showed that there was an increase in height and weight in clusters 1 and 2. A longitudinal assessment of usual intake (FFQ) in cluster 1 showed reduced intake of energy, carbohydrate, protein and lipid from moment 1 (M1) to moment 2 (M2) and moment 3 (M3). Supplementation with vitamins showed significant statistical results, consistent with supplementation and washout for most vitamins and minerals in clusters 1 and 2. A longitudinal analysis (correcting for age, gender, pubertal stage, and energy intake, carbohydrate and lipid) in cluster 1 showed that total cholesterol and LDL decreased throughout the study, blood glucose decreased from time 1 to time 2, but CRP increased in moment 2; hemoglobin and serum iron decreased from 1 to 2 and from 1 to 3. In cluster 2, total cholesterol and LDL decreased throughout the study, CRP increased throughout the study, serum iron decreased from time 1 to time 2. Conclusions: We found two reverse metabolic groups. Individuals may respond differently to the same intervention, and it is possible that multiple micronutrient supplementation has a role in improving glycemia and lipid profile of some subjects. Genotyping and proteomics studies may reinforce this hypothesis and help understand how the biological system of children and adolescents interact to culminate in a response against an intervention.

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas
Numa sociedade cada vez mais preocupada com a saúde, a nutrição tem desempenhado um papel muito importante, não só com a causa da doença, mas também como uma forma de prevenção da doença. Isto ocorre porque os nutrientes são capazes de interagir com os mecanismos moleculares do organismo e assim, modificar as funções fisiológicas. A nutrigenómica (o estudo dos nutrientes na expressão dos genes) pode assim ser explorada de duas formas: os alimentos podem influenciar a atividade dos genes, e os genes podem influenciar a necessidade de certos nutrientes. Isto proporciona uma compreensão genética de como os componentes da dieta comum poderão afetar o equilíbrio entre a saúde e a doença, alterando desta forma a expressão e ou estrutura da composição genética de um individuo. Apesar de os indivíduos serem diferentes uns dos outros, o genoma é 99,9% semelhante entre eles. Esta diferença de 0.1% representa variações visíveis como a cor do cabelo, pele e olhos e diferenças mais subtis, como o aumento de predisposição para desenvolver doenças crónicas e a necessidade de determinados nutrientes e compostos bioativos. As várias mudanças nos hábitos alimentares e estilo de vida que surgem no dia-a-dia das pessoas podem assim estar relacionadas com o aparecimento de doenças influenciadas pela alimentação. Assim, lições de Nutrigenómica mostram a importância de consciencializar as pessoas para a importância da nutrição no estado de saúde de cada ser humano individual. No presente trabalho, pretende-se transmitir ao leitor uma visão compreensível mas ampla e detalhada de como a nutrigenómica é importante e quais as vantagens de usar esta ferramenta de estudo. In an increasingly health-conscious society, nutrition has played a very important role not only as the cause of disease but also as a way of disease prevention. This occurs because nutrients are able to interact with the organism’s molecular mechanisms and thereby modify physiological functions Nutrigenomics (the study of the influence of nutrients in gene expression) can thus be explored in two ways: food can influence the activity of genes and; genes can influence the need for certain nutrients. This provides an understanding of how the genetic components of common diets may affect the balance between health and disease, thereby altering the expression or structure and the genetic makeup of an individual. Despite being different from each other individual, the Human Genome is 99,9 % similar between individuals. This 0.1 % difference accounts for visible variations such in hair, skin and eye color and more subtle differences such as the increased predisposition to develop chronic diseases and the need for certain nutrients and bioactive compounds. The various changes in eating habits and lifestyle that arise in the day-to-day life of people can thus be related to the onset of diet-related disorders. Thus, lessons from Nutrigenomics indicate the importance of making people aware of the relevance of nutrition in the health status of every individual human being. The present work, aims at providing the reader with a comprehensive but broad and detailed view of how nutrigenomics is important and what are the advantages of using this study tool.