Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining good health. However, having in mind the uniqueness of our bodies, we all can have different nutritional needs, which can be dictated by our age, state of health, levels of physical activity or metabolism. Personalised nutrition takes into account these unique features and providing information on the genetic and metabolic profile helps to optimize nutrition for the best health outcomes.
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Lifestyle factors, such as diet, play a significant role in the development and progression of these diseases. Personalised nutrition can help individuals make dietary changes that are specific to their unique needs, which can improve their overall health and reduce their risk of chronic disease.
Understanding Personalised Nutrition
Personalised nutrition is an emerging field that uses advanced technologies, such as genomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics, to analyze an individual’s specific nutritional needs. This field recognizes that each person has unique genetic and metabolic profiles that affect how they process and respond to different foods. By tailoring dietary recommendations to an individual’s specific needs, personalised nutrition can optimize overall health and well-being.
How Personalised Nutrition help in Maintaining Health through Disease Prevention and Management
Personalised nutrition can help prevent and manage a range of chronic diseases. For example, a personalised dietary advice or nutrition plan can be individualized to support individuals with diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels and preventing complications associated with the disease. Similarly, personalised nutrition can be used to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by promoting a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle.
Having in mind that excess body weight is an important factor contributing to increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, maintaining a healthy body weight is essential for overall health and well-being. Personalised nutrition can help to achieve and maintain a healthy weight by identifying their unique dietary requirements in respect to the metabolic profile and energy requirements of the individuals.
Research studies have shown that personalised nutrition can be effective in preventing and managing chronic diseases with the highest global burden.
-> In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers found that a personalised nutrition approach was effective in improving dietary intake and reducing the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes (Celis-Morales et al., 2017), thereby providing evidence that personalised nutrition can be an effective tool for chronic disease prevention and management.
-> Later research published in the Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics found that a personalised nutrition intervention was effective in improving blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes (López-Fontana et al., 2019). The conducted intervention involved identifying individual genetic variations related to blood sugar control was particularly beneficial in tailoring dietary recommendations based on their variations considered on an individual basis.
-> Result of a comprehensive literature review published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology found that personalised nutrition interventions were effective in improving health outcomes in individuals suffering from hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes (Ogata et al., 2016), consequently indicating that personalised nutrition approaches can be an effective strategy for managing chronic diseases and improving health outcomes.
-> Personalised nutrition can also be effective in preventing chronic diseases. In a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that a personalised nutrition intervention was effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals who were at high risk for the disease (Razquin et al., 2018). The intervention involved providing personalised dietary recommendations based on individual risk factors, such as age, body mass index, and family history of diabetes. The study suggests that personalised nutrition approaches can be an effective tool for reducing the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.
Targeted nutritional advice as an effective strategy in disease prevention
Personalised nutrition can help improve nutrient status by identifying nutrient deficiencies and recommending foods and supplements to address these deficiencies. This can improve overall health outcomes and reduce the risk of developing diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies.
Research has shown that interventions based on personalised nutrition can be effective in improving dietary intake and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that a personalised nutrition intervention was effective in improving nutrient status and reducing inflammation in individuals with metabolic syndrome (Bock et al., 2018). Consistently, a personalised nutrition approach was effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in overweight and obese people with metabolic syndrome (Bock et al., 2014). In a randomized controlled trial conducted in the group of overweight and obese adults with metabolic syndrome, a personalised nutrition intervention was effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in (van Ommen et al., 2014). Similarly, in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, an individualized dietary intervention was found to be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with high cholesterol levels (Strohacker et al., 2014).
Altogether, presented studies support the role of personalised nutrition in correcting individual nutritional status, in prevention of chronic diseases. The study suggests that personalised nutrition approaches can be an effective tool for improving nutritional status and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Key takeaway message:
Personalised nutrition through recognizing your unique nutritional needs, by analyzing a genetic and metabolic profile, can come up with individualized dietary recommendations that optimize your overall health and well-being. Although there are many benefits of employing personalised nutrition in achieving optimal health, the most important are diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention, through individual weight management. As personalised nutrition continues to evolve, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach nutrition and health.