Nutrigenomics: Nutritional Genomics

Nutrigenomics- or ‘nutritional genomics’- is the study of all the genetic factors that influence the biological response to diet and the impact diet has on gene expression. Nutrigenomics is a branch of a broader domain-ecogenomics, which deals with the role of genetic polymorphisms in the variability of organisms’ response to environmental factors. Nutrigenomics is a powerful tool that guides investigators through a more global and molecular consideration of various factors influencing the human biological response to diet. Nutrigenetics on the other hand, aims to understand how the genetic makeup of an individual coordinates their response to diet, and thus considers underlying genetic polymorphisms. Nutrigenetics typically characterizes SNPs with regards to their frequency in a given population and to their relevance for metabolic health or disorders.