THE saying 鈥渙ne man鈥檚 meat is another man鈥檚 poison鈥� could be a motto for the nascent field of nutrigenomics. Everyone has their own selection of genes, some of which cope better or worse with various nutrients. So choose foods to suit those genes and you can avoid disease and optimise your health. Or that鈥檚 the idea.
There are long-standing examples where this logic is indisputable. People with the single-gene disorder phenylketonuria, for example, must avoid foods containing phenylalanine or risk brain damage. As we have learned more about the human genome, this logic has been extended to other genes and disorders, some involving many genes.
A number of companies have also started to offer dietary advice based on gene tests. To see if the science stacks up, 麻豆传媒 investigated. The results do not inspire confidence (see 鈥淗ungry genes?鈥�). The simple logic of nutrigenomics turns out to be fraught with uncertainties. At present, the best advice to anyone thinking of basing their diet on a limited gene test is 鈥渂uyer beware鈥�.
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