The Effects of Nutrients on Gene Expression in the Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

To review current research identifying relationships between individual genetic loads, diet, and Type II diabetes mellitus. Type II diabetes mellitus is considered a global pandemic, with increasing rates worldwide (Berna, G. et al., 2014). The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus is not completely understood, but as recent research shows, gene variants and nutrient interactions play an important role in dietary interventions to prevent the onset of type II diabetes mellitus. A literature search of trials was conducted using five databases: Academic Search Complete, PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrance, and Scopus. Key terms included in the search were “nutrigenomics,” “diabetes mellitus” and “gene expression”. In addition, key terms “precision nutrition” and “diet-gene interaction” were used in Scopus and PubMed to further narrow the results. A total of 122 articles were found. Eligibility criteria for reports included the year of publication from 2010-current, peer-reviewed studies, published in English, use of objective measures, and focused on obesity and type II diabetes mellitus. A total of ten studies were included in this review. Findings suggest nearly 90 different genes associated with the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Healthier diets were found to be associated with genes involved in metabolic function. Studies also suggest that the Mediterranean dietary pattern seems to have a beneficial effect in modulating gene expression associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Seven out of ten studies analyzed used animal subjects to determine gene expression. Further research should be conducted to determine the gene expressions in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus using longitudinal studies amongst human subjects.