Chapter 17 - Nutrigenomics: Integrating Genomic Approaches Into Nutrition Research

Abstract

While a number of formal definitions exist, in essence nutrigenomics (sometimes called nutritional genomics) considers the interactions between foods or dietary supplements and an individual's genome and the consequent downstream effects on his or her phenotype. The field has the potential to provide tailored nutritional advice or develop specialist food products for populations or for individuals. It recognizes that appropriate dietary advice for one individual may be inappropriate or actually harmful to another. The potential is comparable to that of its sister field of pharmacogenomics, which considers individualized drug therapy. The Nutrigenomics New Zealand model (http://www.nutrigenomics.org.nz) provides an approach to integrating the various available technologies for systems biology, ultimately directed toward the development of novel and targeted foods. However, this example also provides a cohesive and integrated model that can be applied to other research objectives. Inflammatory bowel disease, specifically Crohn's disease, has been used as proof of principle.