K-State Researchers Discuss Potential for Nutrigenomics to Help Prevent Cancer & Other Diseases
Friday March 5, 2010
K-STATE RESEARCHERS SAY NUTRIGENOMICS LIKELY TO CHANGE THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH; STUDIES ON NUTRIENTS AND GENE EXPRESSION COULD LEAD TO TAILORED DIETS FOR BETTER DISEASE PREVENTION
Personal health recommendations and diets tailored to better prevent diseases may be in our future, just by focusing on genetics.
Researchers at Kansas State University recently published an academic journal article discussing the potential for nutrigenomics, a field that studies the effects of food on gene expression. The researchers discussed the possibility of using food to prevent an individual’s genes from expressing disease. The researchers said nutrigenomics could completely change the future of public health and the food and culinary industries.
“Nutrigenomics involves tailoring diets to someone’s genetic makeup,” said Koushik Adhikari, K-State assistant professor of sensory analysis. “I speculate that in five to 10 years, you would go to a genetic counselor or a physician who could help you understand your genetic makeup, and then a nutritional professional could customize your diet accordingly.”