Open AccessThe gene-nutrient-gene loop
Author(s) -
Nada A. Abumrad
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.21
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1473-6519
pISSN - 1363-1950
DOI - 10.1097/00075197-200109000-00011
Subject(s) - phenotype , disease , hyperlipidemia , genotype , biology , intervention (counseling) , gene , genotype phenotype distinction , diabetes mellitus , bioinformatics , complex disease , genetics , medicine , endocrinology , psychiatry
It is increasingly apparent that the genetic influence on the development and severity of a particular phenotype (e.g. diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and coronary heart disease) can be strongly modulated by diet. In turn, the response of the phenotype to dietary intervention is determined by the individual genotype. The reviews in this issue provide striking examples of recent progress related to the molecular basis of nutrient-gene interactions. As our understanding of these interactions improves, we should be better equipped to identify individuals at risk of specific pathologies and make a better assessment of the risk involved. Nutritional support could then be tailored to the individual genotype to favour beneficial phenotypic expression or to suppress that leading to pathology and disease.