Your food choices have a big impact on your health and well-being, including your body weight. But did you know that the food you eat “talks” to your genes and affects how they function?
What are genes? In case you need a refresher, a gene is a section of DNA that codes for a specific protein or enzyme. Genes tell cells which proteins to make and in what quantity. This affects all aspects of your health from physical characteristics, like the color of your eyes and hair to your risk of developing certain health problems.
But there’s more. A growing body of research suggests that what we eat affects how our genes function, and in turn, can influence our risk for many chronic diseases. In other words, you may have inherited a line of code in your DNA that creates certain proteins but the diet you eat can affect whether that code is expressed and to what degree. It doesn’t change the code but how it’s expressed.
The Growing Field of Nutrigenomics
Research into how genes affect gene expression is called nutrigenomics, the study of the bidirectional effect of nutrients and dietary factors on genes. Nutrigenomics is closely related to epigenetics, the study of the effects that all outside factors have on gene expression. Nutrigenomics focuses on the impact of nutrients and food on gene expression.
Even if you inherit a gene from each parent, environmental factors like diet or lifestyle choices can change their expression, how much they’re expressed and whether they’re expressed at all. One factor that affects gene expression is nutrition. Epigenetic changes can be passed down through generations and scientists believe they play an important role in diseases such as obesity and cancer.
There are thousands of studies linking diet with disease risk and longevity, but scientists have yet to come up with a clear answer as to why some foods have such an effect. One explanation is that nutrients interact with genes and place chemical tags on them that affect their expression. One such process is called methylation, placing a chemical group called a methyl group on certain portions of DNA (genes) to change the way they’re expressed. Methylation is one such epigenetic mechanism by which nutrients affect gene expression.
Beyond epigenetic factors, diet may affect health and longevity by its effects on oxidative stress and the gut microbiome. So, there is likely to be more than one explanation.
Nutrigenomics May Change the Way People Eat
The exciting new field of nutrigenomics explores how diet and nutrition affect health by changing gene expression (i.e., turning on or off certain genes). It’s clear there are links between what we eat, how our bodies use nutrients, and how we feel — but many questions remain about the details. For example, what diet is best for healthy gene expression and does the best diet vary between individuals? There are still unanswered questions.
Here’s what scientists know so far:
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help keep your heart healthy by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This may be because antioxidants like vitamin C and beta carotene help prevent oxidative damage from free radicals (naturally occurring molecules that may cause cell damage). Antioxidants also help protect against inflammation, which is associated with heart disease. Plus, fruits and vegetables may also alter gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms.
Other research shows consuming a Mediterranean diet (high in fruit and vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole grains) is linked with less aging of the brain over time. These benefits may partially be related to epigenetic mechanisms. If there’s one diet that has the most evidence to support its benefits for health and longevity, it’s the traditional Mediterranean diet.
One study conducted by researchers at Tuft University found that diet quality altered the methylation of genes at 30 different sites on DNA, including genes that affect health and mortality. It shows that we do have some control over our genes and health outcomes.
The good news is that it doesn’t take much for food to change gene expression. Even small changes in diet can have a big impact on gene activity — and therefore on health.
As with many things in life, moderation is key—there’s no need for strict adherence to any one dietary philosophy if it means sacrificing your quality of life. If you adopt a way of eating, it should be something you can stick with and sustain.
Nutrigenomics Opens Up New Frontiers
Epigenetic studies reveal that the DNA sequences that comprise genes are not the only factor that determines gene expression while nutrigenomics shows diet is a factor that can affect gene expression, along with other elements like physical activity, smoking, pollution, and other lifestyle habits.
Why is this exciting? The knowledge gained from epigenetic studies will help scientists understand how diet influences health at the level of genes and lead to new treatments and prevention strategies. Knowledge gained from nutrigenomics will lead to knowledge about how to eat to do the same.
Insights gained from epigenetics may also shed light on how to make weight loss easier too. As you might expect, the scientific community is trying to understand the epigenetic mechanisms that govern weight loss, to make it easier to counter the growing tide of obesity.
Conclusion
Nutrigenomics is a fascinating field of science and is in its infancy. The knowledge gained from nutrigenomics and epigenetic studies will lead to a better understanding of how diet affects mental and physical health and lead to new treatments and prevention strategies.
Until then, eat a varied diet that includes a variety of whole foods with lots of fruits and vegetables and skip the ultra-processed junk that does nothing positive for your genes or your health.
Also, be aware of foods that you may have intolerances to. For example, lactose intolerance, a deficiency of an enzyme that breaks down the lactose sugar in dairy foods, is common and can cause gas, bloating, and nausea. Listen to what your body tells you.
References:
“Mediterranean Diet and Epigenetic Changes | Friedman School of ….” https://nutrition.tufts.edu/news/mediterranean-diet-and-epigenetic-changes.
ula M Lorenzo, Andrea G Izquierdo, Gemma Rodriguez-Carnero, Antía Fernández-Pombo, Alba Iglesias, Marcos C Carreira, Cristina Tejera, Diego Bellido, Miguel A Martinez-Olmos, Rosaura Leis, Felipe F Casanueva, Ana B Crujeiras, Epigenetic Effects of Healthy Foods and Lifestyle Habits from the Southern European Atlantic Diet Pattern: A Narrative Review, Advances in Nutrition, 2022;, nmac038, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac038.
“Nutrigenomics. The basics. | The Nutrition Society.” 19 Nov. 2018, https://www.nutritionsociety.org/blog/nutrigenomics-basics.
Sales NM, Pelegrini PB, Goersch MC. Nutrigenomics: definitions and advances of this new science. J Nutr Metab. 2014;2014:202759. doi: 10.1155/2014/202759. Epub 2014 Mar 25. PMID: 24795820; PMCID: PMC3984860.
