Metabolomics‐Based Dietary Biomarkers in Nutritional Epidemiology—Current Status and Future Opportunities

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research Vol. 63; no. 1; pp. e1701064 - n/a
• Main Authors: Brennan, Lorraine, Hu, Frank B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Calibration; Diet; dietary assessment; dietary biomarkers; Epidemiologic Methods; Epidemiology; Food intake; Humans; Metabolomics; Metabolomics - methods; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; dietary assessment; dietary biomarkers; metabolomics; food intake
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201701064

The application of metabolomics in nutrition epidemiology holds great promise and there is a high expectation that it will play a leading role in deciphering the interactions between diet and health. However, while significant progress has been made in the identification of putative biomarkers, more work is needed to address the use of the biomarkers in dietary assessment. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate progress in these areas and to identify challenges that need to be addressed going forward. The notable applications of dietary biomarkers in nutritional epidemiology include 1) determination of food intake based on biomarkers levels and calibration equations from feeding studies, 2) classification of individuals into dietary patterns based on the urinary metabolic profile, and 3) application of metabolome wide–association studies. Further work is needed to address some specific challenges to enable biomarkers to reach their full potential. Biomarkers of food intake have immense potential in nutritional epidemiology. To date significant progress has been made in their use in two areas: 1) Biomarkers can be used to determine food intake through the use of well‐defined calibration curves. Using a biomarker level, the amount of food intake in g day−1 can be estimated. 2) Combinations of biomarkers or the metabolic profile can be used to classify individuals into dietary patterns.