Nutri-Genomics? The New Anti-Aging Solution?

Well, I was going to touch on a simple anti-aging topic in my next post, like health benefits of pistachio nuts but tonight I attended an interesting conference where two anti-aging medical experts lectured on “Nutri-genomics.” (What’s that?!) Dr. W. Moon made an innovative proposal on tailor made anti-aging solutions based on genetic testing. Dr. F. Marotta talked about the relationship between gene and nutrition and shared with us clinical test results of how certain nutrients can have positive effect on people of a specific geno-type and negative effect on another. Actually, this is quite an eye-opening statement!

For example, we all know fish oil like Omega 3 is supposed to be an effective anti-aging nutrient. So does this mean that Omega 3 will have positive effects on everyone? He is saying, “Sorry, no! There is no “one size fits all” diet.” Omega 3 fish oil can be a great health benefit for let's say geno-type 1 people but can worsen the condition for another geno-type person. So his take is that these nutriceutical solutions, including taking "supplements," are not that simple. If you're the wrong geno-type, not only are you wasting your time taking a particular supplement, but it could even aggravate your health.

Note: Omega-3 is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The human brain is also highly dependent on DHA - low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's.

When catechin was announced as a powerful anti-oxidant, companies rushed to market green tea-related supplements. And we all believed that green tea is good for your health. However, if you don't know your geno-type, you would not know if catechin actually works for you, what kind of catechin is effective for you, how much and how often you're supposed to take it. Without such precise diagnosis, you may be doing something quite meaningless!

So both of these doctors are urging that accurate gene test and analysis is necessary for an optimal nutraceutical program to be designed just for you. Genetic information to tailor make your health care…sounds to me like the next generation of medical practice!