Nutrient–gene interactions in benefit–risk analysis

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 95; no. 6; pp. 1232 - 1236
• Main Authors: Hesketh, John, Wybranska, Iwona, Dommels, Yvonne, King, Maria, Elliott, Ruan, Pico, Catalina, Keijer, Jaap
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.06.2006
• Subjects: Benefit–risk analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular disease; Diet; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Food; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic factors; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Variation; Genetics; Genome, Human; Genotype & phenotype; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Leerstoelgroep Toxicologie; Metabolism; Nutrients; Nutrient–gene interactions; Nutrigenomics; Nutrition research; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; RIKILT - Business Unit Safety & Health; RIKILT - Business Unit Veiligheid & Gezondheid; Risk analysis; Risk Assessment; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Sub-department of Toxicology; Toxicologie; Toxicology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Workshop Report; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Nutrigenomics; Nutrient–gene interactions; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Benefit–risk analysis; Vertebrata; Nutrient-gene interactions: Nutrigenomics: Benefit-risk analysis: Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Mammalia; Gene interaction; Nucleotide; Nutrient; Risk analysis; Polymorphism
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN20061749
• ISSN: 0007-1145

Individuals respond differently to nutrients and foods. This is reflected in different levels of benefits and risks at the same intake of a nutrient and, consequently, different ‘windows of benefit’ in terms of nutrient intake. This has led recently to the concept of ‘personalised nutrition’. Genetic factors such as single nucleotide polymorphisms may be one source of this inter-individual variation in benefit–risk response to nutrients. In 2004 a European Union-funded network of excellence in the area of nutrigenomics (European Nutrigenomics Organisation; NuGO) organised a workshop on the role of nutrient–gene interactions in determining benefit–risk of nutrients and diet. The major issues discussed at theworkshop are presented in the present paper and highlighted with examples from the presentations. The overall consensus was that although genetics provides a new vision where genetic information could in the future be used to provide knowledge on disease predisposition and nutritionalrequirements, such a goal is still far off and much more research is required before we can reliably include genetic factors in the risk–benefit assessment of nutrients and diets.