The most efficient diet: What is a nutrigenetic test?

This is how a nutrigenetic test works and how it helps to maintain good health.

In recent years, nutrigenetic tests nutrigenetic tests have positioned themselves as a key tool in personalized nutrition, i.e. in nutritional advice.Nutrigenetic tests have become a key tool in personalized nutrition, i.e. in nutritional advice that is totally adapted and individualized to the person requesting it.

Nutrigenetics is part of nutrigenomics, the science that brings together nutrition and genetics.. Specifically, it studies how our genes can influence or determine the response to a particular nutrient or diet.

Eating the right diet has a lot to do with genes

When we are born we inherit 50% of the genetic information from each of our parents, which makes us unique and unrepeatable. For this reason, each person will be more or less susceptible to develop a pathology, or will be predisposed to present a specific phenotype.

Food is no exception: more and more studies are coming out that show the impact that genetics can have on health in relation to the way we eat. This scientific evidence has led to the need to analyze genetic variants closely related to diet and associated pathologies..

And how is it possible to analyze genetics? Technology is advancing at a dizzying pace every year, and what cost millions of euros at the beginning of the century can now be achieved at a very low cost in comparison. A person's genetics (DNA) can be analyzed through a Blood sample, or more simply, through a saliva sample. The latter is generally used for nutrigenetic tests.

How does applied nutrigenomics work?

The sample collection process is very simple. The company or laboratory in question provides a kit, in which you will find all the steps to follow easily and quickly. In the box you will find a tube to collect the saliva, and usually a preservative that will preserve the DNA until it is time to analyze it. It is just a small liquid to be added directly to the sample before sending it to the address provided by the manufacturer.

This is how non-invasive and easy the procedure for nutrigenetic analysis is. However, in order to obtain the best possible sample, there are several things to keep in mind. Do not eat or smoke for an hour or two before collecting the sample.. It is also not recommended to brush your teeth or drink anything other than water.

The analysis in the laboratory

Once the sample arrives at the laboratory begins the process of extraction and purification of saliva DNA to subsequently analyze the relevant genetic variants.

These variants are known as single nucleotide polymorphismsthat is, variations of a single nitrogenous base at a specific position in the genome. Therefore, it is not a massive sequencing test of the entire genetic material, but only very specific positions within the genome are analyzed.

The human genome is composed of more than one trillion base pairs, so there are thousands of possible variations, whose unique combination in an organism is what makes us unique and unrepeatable.

But then what are these variants that they analyze? Based on scientific studies of great evidence, variants that have been found to be closely associated with diet and the predisposition to develop metabolic diseases, such as obesity or diabetes, are chosen.such as obesity or diabetes.

How does it help us to estimate the risk of developing diseases?

Generally, each laboratory elaborates a genetic risk index by grouping the different selected variants related to a parameter of interest. In other words, if it has been found that the presence of 8 variants predisposes to have a higher body mass index, all of them are grouped together to elaborate the genetic risk index for obesity.

If a person has many of these variants, his genetic risk of developing obesity will be higher compared to another person who has only one or two of these variants. Genetic risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or gluten intolerance, are some of the parameters that are usually included.. In addition, a person's response to a particular diet or dietary pattern is also studied based on genetics.

Based on different variants, it can be determined whether a person will respond better or worse to a hypocaloric or hyperproteic diet, for example. All this information is of great use to the dietician-nutritionist when it comes to prescribing a diet taking into account the patient's situation and objective. All these results are usually presented in a more or less visual report, so that the information is intuitive and easy to understand.

What is the best nutrigenetic test?

Currently there are several companies and laboratories that offer this service. Each nutrigenetic test will analyze one or other variants, depending on the criteria of the laboratory that has developed it.

For this reason it is very important to be well informed before choosing an option. It must have been developed by experts in the field whose scientific criteria are backed by years of experience and research.

Is it a test for life?

Yes, but there are several factors to take into account. The genetic material we inherit from our parents will remain the same for the rest of our lives.. Except for point mutations that may appear during our lifetime, a person's DNA does not change. Therefore, the same variant at the same position in the genome will be the same for a person whether it is analyzed by one laboratory or another.

However, the interpretation of the results may change, as one panel of experts may consider different variants to be relevant than those of another group of experts. For this reason it is worthwhile to find out about the scientific background of the company or laboratory in question, as the criteria of the scientific team behind each nutrigenetic test is very important. the criteria of the scientific team behind each nutrigenetic test is very important..

In summary, a nutrigenetic test can provide valuable information that helps a person to determine his or her predisposition to the most common metabolic diseases. Likewise, the dietician-nutritionist can use it to personalize the dietary recommendation at the highest level. The omics revolution is here!

Oorenji: Precision nutrition integrating Nutrigenetics

Oorenji is an interactive app that will help you plan your personalized weekly menu in a simple way, ensuring the nutritional balance and the recommended portions of each food (meat, fish, chicken, legumes, fruits, vegetables and cereals). (meat, fish, poultry, legumes, fruits, vegetables and cereals).

Ooreji's artificial intelligence algorithm takes into account, in addition to each and every one of the user's general and typical variables (age, sex, physical activity or physical condition of the person), the integration of genetic information obtained from an analysis of a saliva sample.

You can download it directly from the official Android and Apple stores.

Author: Marta Alonso, Dietitian-Nutritionist.