Reference Number: 676
Year: 2023
Link: Link to original paper
Health: General health | Genetics | Gut Microbiome - Creating Healthier Bread to Support Optimal Gut Health
Summary
Abstract
The unique physiological and genetic characteristics of individuals influence their reactions to different dietary constituents and nutrients. This notion is the foundation of personalized nutrition. The field of nutrigenetics has witnessed significant progress in understanding the impact of genetic variants on macronutrient and micronutrient levels and the individual’s responsiveness to dietary intake. These variants hold significant value in facilitating the development of personalised nutritional interventions, thereby enabling the effective translation from conventional dietary guidelines to genome-guided nutrition. Nevertheless, certain obstacles could impede the extensive implementation of individualised nutrition, which is still in its infancy, such as the polygenic nature of nutrition-related pathologies. Consequently, many disorders are susceptible to the collective influence of multiple genes and environmental interplay, wherein each gene exerts a moderate to modest effect. Furthermore, it is widely accepted that diseases emerge because of the intricate interplay between genetic predisposition and external environmental influences. In the context of this specific paradigm, the utilization of advanced “omic” technologies, including epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiome analysis, in conjunction with comprehensive phenotyping, has the potential to unveil hitherto undisclosed hereditary elements and interactions between genes and the environment. This review aims to provide up-to-date information regarding the fundamentals of personalized nutrition, specifically emphasising the complex triangulation interplay among microbiota, dietary metabolites, and genes. Furthermore, it highlights the intestinal microbiota’s unique makeup, its influence on nutrigenomics, and the tailoring of dietary suggestions. Finally, this article provides an overview of genotyping versus microbiomics, focusing on investigating the potential applications of this knowledge in the context of tailored dietary plans that aim to improve human well-being and overall health.
Summary of Findings
This paper explores how combining three scientific fields—nutrigenomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics—can help create personalized nutrition plans that improve health and prevent disease.
What Are These Fields?
- Nutrigenomics studies how nutrients affect gene activity.
- Metabolomics looks at the chemical processes and substances (metabolites) in the body.
- Microbiomics focuses on the trillions of microbes in our gut and how they influence health.
Together, these fields help explain why people respond differently to the same foods and why a “one-size-fits-all” diet doesn’t work.
Why Personalized Nutrition Matters
Everyone has a unique genetic makeup, metabolism, and gut microbiome. These differences affect how we absorb nutrients, how our bodies react to certain foods, and our risk for diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Personalized nutrition uses genetic testing, microbiome analysis, and lifestyle data to tailor dietary advice to each individual.
The Role of the Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome is a vast ecosystem of bacteria and other microbes that help digest food, produce vitamins, regulate the immune system, and even influence mood and brain function. It is now considered almost like a separate organ because of its powerful impact on health.
- Diet influences the microbiome, and the microbiome influences how we process food.
- Eating fibre-rich foods (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) helps beneficial bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which reduce inflammation and support gut health.
- Probiotics and fermented foods (like yogurt and kimchi) can help restore balance in the microbiome.
Nutrients and Microbiome Interactions
- Macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) are processed differently depending on your microbiome.
- Some gut bacteria help break down fibre into SCFAs, synthesize vitamins like B12 and K, and improve mineral absorption.
- The microbiome can even influence appetite hormones like leptin and ghrelin, affecting food cravings and weight.
Challenges and Opportunities
- The microbiome is complex and changes daily but tends to be stable over time.
- Diet can temporarily shift the microbiome, but long-term effects are still being studied.
- Personalized nutrition must consider not just genes and microbes, but also lifestyle, stress, medications, and environment.
- Ethical and privacy concerns around genetic and microbiome data need careful handling.
Significance to the Baker
This paper argues that integrating genetic, metabolic, and microbiome data can revolutionise how we approach nutrition. By understanding how our bodies uniquely respond to food, we can design diets that prevent disease, improve wellbeing, and support long-term health—one person at a time. This is in line with the BALM protocol of personalisation of bread, activism and eating the research.
