Personalized Nutrition: The Latest on DNA-Based Diets

Several of you have written asking me to revisit the subject of nutrigenomics, which is the attempt to use genetic testing as a way to steer dietary recommendations.

Nutrition Diva listener Brad writes:

You did an episode on DNA-based diets in 2012 (episode 203). I know the genetics field is changing very quickly and I was hoping you could revisit this subject. Some of the companies who do the testing also sell specific supplements based on your results, which seems a little suspcious. What is the state of the art?

Another listener, Dizz, wrote:   

I keep seeing these DNA testing companies on social media. They claim to have studies on their website supporting their results. I haven’t actually done the test, but I read a sample report and it seemed like the recommendations (like eat a high fiber diet) were just common sense and would apply to everyone. Can you hang your hat on these tests?

If you've been wondering whether DNA testing can help you zero in on the best diet, there's new research out that I think you’ll find quite interesting.

No Single Diet Works Best for Everyone

Since the sequencing of the human gemone, there's been a lot of interest in nutrigenomics. It’s long been clear that we don’t all respond the same way to the same dietary interventions. Some people do really well on a higher fat diet. Others develop high triglycerides or cholesterol on the same diet. Some people lose more weight when they reduce carbs. Others lose more weight when they increase complex carbs and reduce fat.  

If these differences are genetic, maybe we could skip some of the trial-and-error and zero in on the best approach for each unique individual based on their DNA.

Now that inexpensive mail-order genetic testing is available, companies have started selling personalized nutrition programs that are supposedly based on your DNA. When I talked about this back in 2012, we didn't have any research to show that these DNA-driven diets are any more effective or valid than standard dietary recommendations. We also didn't have evidence that DNA-driven supplement regimens prevent disease. 

Last year,...

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