Personalised nutrition – often called nutrigenomics – is defined as how food and nutrients affect an individual. The ultimate goal of the approach is to comprise a diet for a person to help optimise their health and reduce the risk of diseases to which they are genetically predisposed.
Three approaches to personalised nutrition
Professor Mike Gibney, director of UCD’s Institute of Food and Health said that his team would be examining three potential approaches to personalised nutrtition, to determine which is the most successful and which is preferred by consumers.
Starting in January 2011, his research team will recruit 2,000 individuals and randomly assign them to one of three groups. These are:
• Genetic approach – how food and ingested nutrients affect genes, to help consumers plan personal nutrition based on their genetic profile
• Web-based approach – a service that allows consumers to enter details of their daily diet. These are then analysed and a report is produced on nutrient intake, with dietary advice based on personal choices and preferences
• Blood samples – pin-prick samples are analysed to provide information on an individual’s physiology and general state of wellness, which will help direct nutrient intake advice
Gibney’s team has four year goal of developing a series of reports that will set out what the opportunities and limitations are for personalised nutrition. They’ll be examining the different options for business models, such as food companies, insurance firms and electronics firms.
The €9m project will also include an ethical and legal analysis, as well as a communications campaign.
Read the full story at: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Industry/EC-funds-project-to-examine-personalised-nutrition
Source and thanks to www.nutraingredients.com.
