What is Nutrigenomics and its Future Role?
Nutrigenomics is gaining attention in this day and age. In the future it may shape our diets or more importantly help us to understand how our diets shape our health.
Nutrigenomics is the examination of molecular connection involving nutrition of the foods we consume and the reaction of our genes. The goal of nutrigenomics is to research and record all changes regardless of how strong or how faint the changes to the body and its over all health can be.
Primary Focus of Nutrigenomics
The primary focus of nutrigenomics is to apply the knowledge of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to learn all we can about the outcome that the nutrients have on various elements such as:
- Genome: this holds all biological data that makes up the individual. It is encoded in DNA, and in distinct elements is called genes.
- Metabolome: the body’s complete set of “small-molecule” metabolites.
- Proteome: the protein profile of a cell.
By researching the actual working factors of the diet (nutrition) that are producing the results and effects on the human body by way of these vital areas, the specific nutrients and values can be revealed. This highlights the molecular relationship to enhance the human body’s nutritional needs.
Working Toward the Ultimate Goal
So, the ultimate goal of nutrigenomics is obviously to allow, based on genotype and individual information, a tailored nutritional diet to maximize over all health and body function. For right now though the step by step goals are modest and are generally taken slow as to limit the trial and error results. Perhaps in the years ahead the scientists and medical professionals working hard to learn from this study will be able to introduce a more effective way for us to get all we can from the foods and drinks we consume.
The Impact of Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomics is a very big step for all of us. It is a more advanced research than what has been applied in the past to discover for example, the nutritional value of vitamins and supplements as well as the positive effects that they each have on the human body. This can, and will in the future, completely change the way we view our diets and nutritional standards.