Policy issues in nutrigenomics 19/12/06. By the Public Health Genetics Unit Researchers at the University of Exeter have launched a two-year project funded by the Wellcome Trust to investigate nutrigenomic diets.

Nutrigenomics is the study of interactions between genetic and dietary factors and their influence on health and disease. Although there has been evidence to support the potential influence of genetic factors combined with diet over disease, the field is still in its infancy and the probable interactions between different factors highly complex. However, commercial firms and other bodies are already claiming that genetic information can dictate optimal diets.

The team at the Economic and Social Research Council Centre of Genomics in Society (Egenis), led by Dr Paula Saukko, will investigate the claims made by providers of such nutrigenomic diets in an attempt to discover whether the public is being misled by manufacturers' claims, and to consider the possible need for regulation of such products and schemes, many of which are available over the internet. They will also assess relevant public health initiatives, clinician-based information and media campaigns or programmes.

Dr Saukko observed: "In the USA there are claims you can make your children more intelligent by tailoring their diet according to their genetic make-up…There is also the 'DNA diet', which claims you can lose weight, tone up and even live longer by following advice based on analysis of your DNA".

The researchers plan to consider how "often uncertain and controversial scientific evidence on the interaction of nutrients and genetic variation and its health and ethical implications" is presented to the public, and to compare the approaches of the UK and US with respect to "marketing, public health and media discourses" on individual responsibilities for health and diet.

Adapted from a news release by the Public Health Genetics Unit .

Links

Egenis website

Egenis project information

Egenis press release: Can your genetic makeup predict what you should eat? [PDF 56KB]