Nutrigenomics
营养基因组学（nutrigenomics 或nutritional genomics，又叫营养遗传学 nutrigenetics）是研究营养素和植物化学物质对机体基因的转录、翻译表达及代谢机理的科学。
膳食是影响人体健康最重要的环境因素之一。膳食因素与常见疾病的关系一直是营养学研究的主要内容。然而，人们对膳食因素与基因因素的相互作用及其对机体健康的影响知之甚少。随着人们对人类及其它生物体基因组的了解不断深入，这种状况正在开始改变。近年来，基因组技术在营养学研究中应用的例子在迅速增加，基因多态性（polymorphisms）对膳食因素与疾病关系的影响也受到愈来愈多的营养学家所关注。可以说，把浩瀚的基因组信息应用于营养学中正成为这门学科的一个巨大的挑战和新的增长点。
今天我们就一起来听听膳食，基因与人体健康的关系吧。
Today's moment of science is about nutrigenomics.
The study of genes has shown that every individual is genetically unique, and this discovery leads to a host of questions as to the relationship between an individual’s genes and environmental factors such as diet.
That is, how does diet interact with one’s genetic make-up to affect one’s health? This is the primary concern of nutrigenomics. It is the study of how different foods interact with particular genes, affecting how these genes act or altering their structures.
Specifically, nutrigenomics is concerned with how chemicals in different foods can interact with particular genes to increase the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and some cancers.
Nutrigenomics dictates that understanding how dietary chemicals regulate different genes will lead to individualized nutrition, the ability to design diets catered to one’s specific genetic make-up.
For example, the food pyramid developed by the USDA assumes that all Americans are the same and have the same dietary needs. Of course, the truth is that we’re not.
A lucky few of us can consume high fat diets and yet not develop heart disease, while others on moderate fat diets may develop heart disease.
Perhaps one day our doctors will read our DNA and take into account our genotype along with other environmental factors such as our physical activity. They may then prescribe us individualized diets, designed to match our unique nutritional needs.
This way, diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s may actually be slowed down or even prevented. |