What Is Nutrigenomics? The Science Of How Food Affects Genes, Explained

The ever-evolving field of nutrition research is pretty exciting—and at the intersection of food, nutrition, and our human genome is the wide spectrum of nutritional genomics research. What is that, you ask? Nutritional genomics research (aka nutrigenomics) explores how the food we eat and other environmental factors directly affect our genes' functioning—specifically in regards to treatment or prevention of disease.

While both fall under the parasol of nutritional genomics and touch on gene-diet dynamics, there are no official differentiators. Often, nutrigenomics is associated with employing molecular means to assess how food compounds influence DNA, alter gene structure and expression, and ultimately contribute to disease predisposition. In other words, nutrigenomics looks at the effects of nutrition on genes and their relationship with the genome.

The thread that weaves different nutrigenomic research perspectives on diet together is the idea that health depends on a person's genetic makeup. "It's about how genes interact with the food we eat. There are about 20,000 genes, and we now know that they all interact directly or indirectly with the nutrients we ingest," adds Lipman. "These nutrients can either turn on or turn off various genes."

"The biggest benefit of nutrigenomics—the reason that people are so drawn to it—is because it's truly personalized medicine. People want to know 'what's right for my body?'" says Ginger Hutlin, M.S., RDN, owner of ChampagneNutrition and author of Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep. "I want answers to what I need for my unique situation." 

For Lipman, nutrigenomics capability is "huge, as it can help individualize what types of nutrients (whether in food or supplements) can help different people." Admittedly, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach, "Nutrigenomics can help us target treatments to someone's nutritional, genetic strengths and weaknesses," he says. 

With the number of genetic companies growing within the last two decades, finding an expert nutrigenomic practitioner4—based on credibility, the value of the tests they offer, and a regulated, responsible, ethical testing environment—is imperative.

"It's vital to work with a practitioner rather than just ordering a test online on your own and trying to figure it out or working with someone who isn't a qualified health professional (with legitimate credentials)," says Hutlin. "Doctors, naturopaths, nurses, and registered dietitians are the most common health care providers who, if they specialize in nutrigenomics, can translate the results safely and effectively for you." 

Functional medicine doctors are also leading the charge on these types of practices, notes Lipman.

The way food you eat affects your genes' is an ongoing line of inquiry, within the fertile ground of nutrition research. Although the field faces some limitations—such as implementing nutrigenomics in everyday life and translating genomic advances into clinical uses—promising research persists.