AYURNUTRIGENOMICS - A STEP TOWARDS PERSONALIZED NUTRITION

Ahara is one of the three pillars of life according to Ayurveda. Along with medicine, food plays a role in the prevention and mitigation of diseases. Compared to any drug, food is consumed in large quantity. Hence, research on its effect and interaction with the genome is highly relevant towards understanding diseases and their management. The epistemic perspective on health and nutrition in Ayurveda is different from that of biomedicine and modern nutrition. However, contemporary knowledge is reinventing and advancing several of these concepts in an era of systems biology and personalized medicine. Ayurgenomics presents a personalized approach in the predictive, preventive, and curative aspects of medicine. It is the study of interindividual variability due to genetic variability in humans for assessing diagnosis and prognosis of diseases, mainly based on the Prakriti (constitution type of person). In the emerging field of Ayurnutrigenomics, based on the clinical assessment of an individual’s Prakriti the selection of suitable ahara, oushadha, and vihara are made. This Ayurveda-inspired concept of personalized nutrition is an innovative perception of nutrigenomic research for developing personalized functional foods and nutraceuticals suitable for one's genetic makeup with the help of Ayurveda. Trans-disciplinary research could be important for pushing the boundaries of food and health sciences and also for providing practical solutions for contemporary health conditions. Hence this novel concept of Ayurnutrigenomics and its emerging areas of research, may unfold future possibilities towards smart yet safe therapeutics

<b>The Relationship of Obesity to Genetic Makeup and Body Constitution According to Oriental </b><b>Theory</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

<p>Diet therapy is an effective method for treating obesity. However, its effectiveness varies from person to person. With that in mind and working towards the implementation of personalized nutrition education, we investigated the relationship between aspects of oriental medicine and genes related to obesity. We analyzed three genes associated with obesity (ADRB 3, UCP 1, and ADRB 2) and classified them as either wild type or mutant. The presence or absence of gene polymorphisms in the obesity-related genes was analyzed by using PCR-CTPP. We conducted a survey using questions that would be comprehensible to people unfamiliar with oriental medicine in order to assess their body constitution, by diagnosing two elements of body constitution according to oriental medical theory (stomach heat [wei re] and spleen vacuity [pi xu]). The study was conducted in 81 women and 28 men (mean age, 42.6 years ; mean BMI, 22.3 kg/m²). Among them, 7 participants were underweight, 83 were of normal weight, and 19 were overweight. The results of the analysis revealed that BMI was highest in those with stomach heat and lowest in subjects with spleen vacuity. Wild type ADRB 3 increased susceptibility to stomach heat, which led to higher body weight ; whereas, the presence of mutated ADRB 3 increased the likelihood of spleen vacuity, which led to lower body weight. These results suggest that by making comprehensive assessments of body characteristics, it is possible to identify individuals with a predisposition to obesity or low body weight.</p>

Effects of Activity-Based Personalized Nutrition Education on Dietary Behaviors and Blood Parameters in Middle-Aged and Older Type 2 Diabetes Korean Outpatients

This study aimed to compare the effects of activity-based personalized nutrition education (APNE) with a general instruction for diabetes (control, CTRL) in middle-aged and older Korean outpatients with type 2 diabetes. After an initial screening, 70 subjects were randomly assigned to APNE (n = 37) or CTRL (n = 33) group. APNE considered each patient’s anthropometry, blood chemistry data, and dietary habits in addition to planning meal choices with the aid of registered dietitians. After 3 months, dietary behavior, food intake, and anthropometric and blood measurement results were evaluated. Fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin levels decreased in the APNE group (n = 33) but not in the CTRL group (n = 23). In the APNE group, the meal intervals and number of days of consuming high-fat food were decreased, while the number of days following a meal plan and balanced diet that entailed consuming fruits, vegetables, and healthy food was increased. A lower consumption of carbohydrates, saccharides, grains, and tuber crops and a higher protein, pulses, and fat-derived calorie intake compared with the initial values were observed in the APNE group. In contrast, only the number of days following the meal plan and balanced diet was increased in the CRTL group, without significantly changing the individual macronutrient-derived calorie intake. The APNE approach appeared to effectively educate outpatients with type 2 diabetes about changing their dietary behavior and food intake and improving the clinical parameters related to diabetic conditions.

Factors Affecting Dieticians in the Provision of Advice Relating to Personalized Nutrition (Nutritional Genomics).

A great amount of research has focused on nutritional genomics in order to personalize dietary interventions based upon genetic premises. The aim of nutritional genomics research is to use this information as a preventive tool in primary care, through personalized dietary advice to populations or to individuals. Increasing the understanding of genetic traits on the part of dieticians and other healthcare professionals can complement the data that is required to create personalized recommendations for dietary intervention. A literature review was conducted by the author using PubMed journals from 2000 to the present day with regard to nutritional genomics studies in order to address the factors affecting dieticians in the provision of advice related to personalized nutrition. Inclusion criteria included research limited to human studies, in the English language and published after 2000. This review concludes that there is a huge demand for an increase in the knowledge and skills of dieticians in order to transform the genetic results and nutrigenomics message into common language as part of their clinical practice. This could be achieved by participation in specific training courses on diet and gene interaction, and by attending conferences and seminars to exchange their perspectives on nutritional genomics. In addition, there is a need to establish a healthcare system that supports and rewards these approaches and promotes their application.