The future of nutrition research

There is little question that nutrition provides the foundation of health and wellbeing and that research into better nutrition is central to enabling a population live healthier, more productive, and longer lives.

With this perspective in mind, the American Society for Nutrition assembled a working group of leading nutrition thought leaders to identify a list of nutritional research areas that required greater or further analysis and prioritization.

In a symposium entitled "The Future of Nutrition Research" on Tuesday at Experimental Biology 2012 (#EB2012), these thought leaders outlined what was generally agreed as the six areas of nutrition research that deserved attention.
The areas of the research comprised of the following:

1. Understand variability in responses to diet and food—a broad area that includes research in epigenetics, proteomics, and metabolomics.
2. Understand the nutritional impact on healthy growth, development, and reproduction
3. The role of nutrition in health maintenance—with emphasis in determining how nutrition and fitness play into optimal health of the body (immune, cognitive, skeletal, and muscular function) over a lifespan.
4. The role of nutrition in medical management—how nutritional factors influence disease and response to therapy.
5. Nutrition-related behaviors—identifying how food choices can affect or become imprinted on the brain.
6. Understanding the food supply environment—investigating the “farm to fork” influence on diet and physical activity and how biotech and nanotech can play a role.

The group also identified five tools in need of further development of which would be required to overcome barriers of nutrition research. The following tools, they said, would enhance the efficiency of research in each of the six areas listed above.

1. Databases—for collection and assessment of food intake data.
2. Biomarkers—needed to improve tracking and monitoring of food intake and response to treatments.
3. Omics—biomarkers that provide data on how genes interact with nutrients, their metabolites, and proteins.
4. Bioinformatics—application of computer science in biology and medicine.
5. Cost-benefit analysis—tools to calculate and compare costs of interventions.

The multi-disciplinary working group included John Milner, of the National Cancer Institute, Dennis Bier of Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Houston, Catherine Ross of Penn State University, Z. Li of University of California, Los Angeles, David Klurfeld, of USDA, J Mein of Monsanto, and Pat Stover of Cornell University. Each of the individuals of the group presented about their respective areas.

Could how much and often people eat depend on their genes?

Thanks to the Human Genome Project, we humans now know that we are all really very much the same at the level of our DNA. Our genomes are 99.9 percent identical, leaving really only 0.1 percent responsible for giving each of us what we would consider our differences or unique qualities. It's within this 0.1 percent that may also explain why some of us may be more likely to be overweight, obese, or susceptible to a disease such as type 2 diabetes.

One of the most promising developments in nutrition research are the insights provided by studies on how dietary components interact with genes. The knowledge gleaned could one day be used for reducing risk of disease and staying healthier, longer. This area of research is nutritional genomics, or nutrigenomics for short. Eventually understanding more about nutrigenomics could lead to our ability to better personalize our diet plans and make better food choices based on our genetic code.

Interestingly, however, new research suggests that it may be genes themselves that are guiding how much we eat as well as our food choices. The Genetic Subgroup of Look AHEAD and the Look AHEAD Research Group have recently reported findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that obesity-related gene sequences (loci) may affect how overweight or obese with type 2 diabetes consume food.

Their study found that a group of obesity-risk alleles, FTO, significantly predicted eating and snacking more frequently. Another, BDNF, was significantly associated with eating more servings of protein-rich dairy, meat, eggs, nuts and beans. SH2B1 was associated with eating more servings of dairy (perhaps due to changes in leptin signaling). On the other hand, TNN13K, was significantly associated with lower percent of protein energy in the diet and higher intake of fats, oils, and sweets energy.  

Obvious limitations to these genetic associations are that -- although there were 2,075 participants in the study from an ethnically diverse sample including men and women -- the conclusions were based a cohort of only overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the study measured dietary intake through food frequency questionnaires, which are often limited in accuracy because of over- or under-reporting. Lastly, other factors like physical activity would probably affect any of the correlations.

Despite limitations, the researchers report the results suggest that markers within FTO, BDNF, TNN13K, and SH2B1 could be used to predict a predisposition to overweight or obesity perhaps because of the way the genes may affect eating patterns and frequency.

And, if replicated, the researchers report, could lead to new discoveries on mechanisms by which these genes affect eating.  

Reference

McCaffery JM, Papandonatos GD, Peter I, Huggins GS, Raynor HA, Delahanty LM, Cheskin LJ, Balasubramanyam A, Wagenknecht LE, Wing RR. Obesity susceptibility loci and dietary intake in the Look AHEAD Trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.026955.