Diets, nutrients, genes and the microbiome: recent advances in personalised nutrition.

Nathan V Matusheski,Lars Christensen,Aoife Caffrey,Henrik M Roager,Shelini Surendran,Barbara Koroušić Seljak,Mads F Hjorth,Szabolcs Péter,Kristina Pentieva,Karani Santhanakrishnan Vimaleswaran,Helene Mcnulty,Marcus Remmers,Simon Mezgec

doi:10.1017/s0007114521000374

Abstract

As individuals seek increasingly individualised nutrition and lifestyle guidance, numerous apps and nutrition programmes have emerged. However, complex individual variations in dietary behaviours, genotypes, gene expression and composition of the microbiome are increasingly recognised. Advances in digital tools and artificial intelligence can help individuals more easily track nutrient intakes and identify nutritional gaps. However, the influence of these nutrients on health outcomes can vary widely among individuals depending upon life stage, genetics and microbial composition. For example, folate may elicit favourable epigenetic effects on brain development during a critical developmental time window of pregnancy. Genes affecting vitamin B12 metabolism may lead to cardiometabolic traits that play an essential role in the context of obesity. Finally, an individual's gut microbial composition can determine their response to dietary fibre interventions during weight loss. These recent advances in understanding can lead to a more complete and integrated approach to promoting optimal health through personalised nutrition, in clinical practice settings and for individuals in their daily lives. The purpose of this review is to summarise presentations made during the DSM Science and Technology Award Symposium at the 13th European Nutrition Conference, which focused on personalised nutrition and novel technologies for health in the modern world.

Highlights

Most dietary recommendations today are based on population averages, it is possible to identify population sub-groups, and even individuals, who may benefit from modified nutrition guidance
The purpose of this review is to summarise presentations made during the DSM Science and Technology Award Symposium at the 13th European Nutrition Conference, which focused on personalised nutrition and novel technologies for health in the modern world
We review four recent advances in the field of personalised nutrition that can lead to an improved understanding of individual health: [1] the influence of epigenetic changes and gene expression on cognitive function in early life, [2] the association genotype with nutrient status and corresponding metabolic responses in the context of obesity, [3] the relationship of gut microbial composition with the efficacy of fibre-rich dietary interventions for body weight management and [4] advanced technologies such as deep learning to improve the accuracy of dietary intake measurements

Summary

Introduction

Most dietary recommendations today are based on population averages, it is possible to identify population sub-groups, and even individuals, who may benefit from modified nutrition guidance. We review four recent advances in the field of personalised nutrition that can lead to an improved understanding of individual health: [1] the influence of epigenetic changes and gene expression on cognitive function in early life, [2] the association genotype with nutrient status and corresponding metabolic responses in the context of obesity, [3] the relationship of gut microbial composition (enterotype) with the efficacy of fibre-rich dietary interventions for body weight management and [4] advanced technologies such as deep learning to improve the accuracy of dietary intake measurements.

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