nutrigenomics, diet and obesity

in continuation of a post the other day on the need to respect individuality in therapy, i came across toronto nutritional sciences researcher ahmed el-sohemy’s work on the difference between men and women in reacting to caffeine.

nutrigenomics – matching nutrition to your DNA

his research is connected to the field of nutrigenomics, a new field of study that eventually hopes to match optimal diets to a person’s unique DNA make-up.

this is very important work. for example, jose cordovas, a researcher at the US department of agriculture found that there may just be a genetic reason for why some people can eat tons of cheese cake and still hardly gain any weight.

nutrigenomics and weight gain

this proves hopeful also, of course, for people who have the opposite problem – they just look at a sliver of donut and already they need a bigger size bathing suit! medical professionals would often dismiss this, saying that all one needs to do is reduce caloric intake – now it looks like it’s a little more complicated than that.

i’ve always suspected that, particularly since my study on the widely differing reactions to pain medication by people afflicted with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (“RSD”, now usually referred to CRPS or chronic regional pain syndrome). our body chemistry is such an immensely complicated system and it just doesn’t make sense that it would be the same for everyone.

metabolomics – your individual metabolism blueprint

nutrigenomics and metabolomics, a related field that examines the unique interaction of genotype and phenotype by mapping cell metabolites, are very new, and for now, attempts to use any knowledge gained in the studies are extremely experimental at best. however, i hope that in the future we will be able to apply this knowledge to help people with stubborn weight problems as well as food allergies.

in the meantime, figure out what your favourite veggies are and eat them in abundance!

(this post has been included in a blog carnival over at middle age shed

isabella mori
moritherapy
counselling in vancouver

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