Personalised nutrition: the next frontier

Personalised nutrition is defined as using information from an individual’s genetic characteristics to assess and develop targeted advice or products and services for that individual.[3] It involves using methods such as nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics to obtain specific information that can be used to define what nutritional advice is required for the long-term health of that individual.[3]

One example of personalised nutrition is the dietary management of inborn errors of metabolism. Phenylketonuria (PKU), for example, is when a single gene mutation means the person cannot metabolise phenylalanine (Phe) and, therefore, requires strict dietary management to avoid serious physiological adverse events.[3] This form of nutrigenomics is now being used more widely with the examination of gene-diet interactions involving dietary components and metabolism.[3,4]

Precision nutrition is very ambitious in its claims that it is possible to gain quantitative data from a person's genetic phenotype to offer practical tailored advice to suit their own body.[3] This would require a high degree of scientific certainty; so, is that achievable?[3]

Although taking a thorough family history can identify inherited disease risk, understanding the role of the genetic code within our DNA can help determine health-related outcomes such as degenerative diseases, cancers and developmental defects.[3-6]

Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics take this one step further.[4,5]

Nutrigenomics is a branch of genetic study that examines the process of gene-diet interactions and how dietary chemicals and bioactive compounds act on the human genome and can alter gene expression or structure, eg genotype and phenotype.[4,6,7] We all have a specific genotype encoded in our DNA and it is possible to use this information to diagnose genome instability and optimise health with the right treatment, as well as prevent the conversion of the phenotype into a disease process.[6]

Nutrigenetics is the study of different phenotypic responses, such as weight, blood pressure, plasma cholesterol or glucose levels, in relation to a specific diet (eg the Mediterranean diet). This may then prevent someone from developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, if they adopt specific dietary and lifestyle changes.[3,6]

We all respond to food differently, even genetically identical twins. Dietary components can act on the human genome directly or indirectly, resulting in altered gene structure or expression.[7-9] Therefore, determining someone’s genetic profile can reveal the digestive and metabolic pathways that are unique to them.[1,10,11]

Research indicates that we can metabolise some foods more quickly than others, which means we can potentially identify what foods to avoid or reduce to improve processes such as blood sugar control.[1,8] Experts have found an association between the CD36 genetic polymorphism and dietary fat intake and the development of obesity.[12] The PREDICT1 trial studied individual responses to food and found variations in blood glucose and triglyceride levels after the participants ate identical meals.[13,14] This information can be used to make predictions in triglyceride and glycaemic responses to food and can help with the prevention or management of type 2 diabetes.[14,15]

Genotype nutrition studies have found that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have an important role in the metabolism and maintenance of macronutrient and micronutrient levels. Their genetic variations can influence the outcome of taking nutritional supplements.[16] Research has also identified the SNP alleles associated with a behaviour such as higher coffee consumption, smoking initiation and physiological aspects including higher adiposity, high fasting insulin and glucose, lower blood pressure, better lipid profiles, inflammation and liver enzyme profiles.[17]

Personalised nutrition has been shown to have a greater impact on people’s dietary intake and health outcomes.[3,9] The Food4Me Study in the US was a large randomised controlled trial investigating personalised nutrition versus generic nutrition messages.[18,19] The results showed that personalised tailored nutrition advice helped the participants to eat a healthier diet and follow a healthier lifestyle.[3,18,19]

This highlights the important role of dietitians in providing individualised dietary interventions. In the future, the ability to tailor advice to a person’s genetic profile and diet-related disease risk could further enhance our impact on individual health outcomes.[20]

Health infrastructure and technology will need to be in place to deal with large amounts of patient personal data, which will need to be processed, analysed and potentially shared.[21] A collection of longitudinal data, such as physiological measures and biomarkers, would be useful in research.[21] However, there are legal and ethical considerations around the processing and storing of patient personal information and permissions need to be gained before data can be shared and used.[12,22]

Food manufacturers and health and wellness businesses will look to develop functional foods and food supplements that target people with particular genetic risk profiles for chronic diseases, if deemed commercially viable.[23] This will pose a challenge in terms of regulation; new products need to be assessed and deemed safe, and health claims legitimised before being marketed and distributed.[22-24]

References:

1. BBC (2025). What is a personalised diet and is it right for you? https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/personalised_nutrition

2. Shyam S, Lee K, Wei Tan, et al. Effect of Personalised Nutrition on Dietary, Physical Activity, and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Randomised Trials. 2022; Nutrients. 2022; Oct 2;14(19):4104. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9570623/

3. Ordovas J, Ferguson L, Shyong Tai E, Mathers, J. Personalised nutrition and health. 2018; BMJ 361:bmj.k2173. https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2173

4. Aruoma O, Housman-Cohen S, Pizano J, et al. Nutrition: Translating the Science of NutriGenomics into Practice: Proceedings From the 2018 American College of Nutrition Meeting. 2019; J Am Coll Nutr May-Jun;38(4):287-301. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31099726//

5. Singar S, Nagpal R, Arjamdi B, Akhavan N. Personalised Nutrition: Tailoring Dietary Recommendations through Genetic Insights. 2024. Nutrients 2024; 16(16), 2673. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/16/2673

6. Farhud D, Yeganeh M. Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics. 2010; Iran J Public Health. 2010 Dec 31;39(4):1–14. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3481686/

7. Kaput J, Rodiguez R. Nutritional genomics: the next frontier in the postgenomic era. 2004; Physiol Genomics Jan 15;16(2):166-77. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14726599/

8. Veetr C, Leeming E. What is personalised nutrition, and does it work? 2025; Zoe. https://zoe.com/learn/what-is-personalized-nutrition?srsltid=AfmBOoosG8YWoH7KzsDp_x6EzLxxvoMVf7xb2NBogMLE7pJzlXvtHPVj

9. Bermingham K, Linenberg I, Polidori L et al. Effects of a personalised nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomised controlled trial. 2024. Nature Medicine volume 30.1888–1897. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02951-6

10. British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine. Why personalised nutrition? 2025. https://bant.org.uk/personalised-nutrition/

11. International Food Information Council. What is personalised nutrition? 2023. https://ific.org/resources/articles/personalized-nutrition-ready-for-prime-time/

12. Muthuswamy K, Shanmugamprema D, Subramanian G et al. CD36 genetic polymorphism and salivary cues are associated with oleic acid sensitivity and dietary fat intake. 2023; Nutr Bull Sep;48(3):376-389. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37533360/

13. Berry S, Valdes A, Drew D, et al. Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition.2020; Nat Med. Jun;26(6):964-973. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32528151/

14. Harvard School of Public Health, Nutrition Source, Precision Nutrition. 2025. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/precision-nutrition/

15. Wang D, Hu F. Precision nutrition for prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. 2018; Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol May;6(5):416-426. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29433995/

16. Wang F, Zheng J, Cheng J, et al. Personalised nutrition: A review of genotype-based nutritional supplementation. 2022. Front Nutr. 2022 Sep 9;9:992986. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9500586/

17. Cornelis M et al Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies six novel loci associated with habitual coffee consumption. 2015; Mol Psychiatry May;20(5):647-656. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25288136/

18. Berry, S, Rodriguez-Mateos, A. Kings College London. Personalised Nutrition. 2025; https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/personalised-nutrition

19. Hoevenaars F, Berendsen C, Pasman W et al. Evaluation of Food-Intake Behaviour in a Healthy Population: Personalised vs. One-Size-Fits-All. 2020. Nutrients Sep 15;12(9):2819. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32942627/

20. Williams N. News Medical Life Sciences What is Personalised Nutrition? 2025. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Personalized-Nutrition.aspx

21. Verma M, Hontecillas R, Tubau-Juni N, Abedi V, Bassaganya-Riera J. Challenges in Personalised Nutrition and Health Front 2018; Nutr. Nov 29;5:117 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6281760/

22. De Roos B. Nutrition: ready for practice? 2012 Cambridge University Press Personalised. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/personalised-nutrition-ready-for-practice/4DBC88E7E94F5B805561CBA4A551AD5D

23. Personalised Nutrition - The Future Trend of the Food Industry. 2025; Food Buy Group. https://www.foodbuy.co.uk/news/personalised-nutrition-the-future-trend-of-the-food-industry/

24. Di Martin, M. Food safety in personalised nutrition. A focus on food supplements and functional foods 2025. Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations. https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/d822409d-272c-4680-a386-d4fa03227c27

25. de Toro-Martin J, Arsenaul, B, Despre J, Vohl M. Precision Nutrition: A Review of Personalised Nutritional Approaches for the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Syndrome. Review Nutrients. 2017; Aug 22;9(8):913. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28829397/

26. The British Nutrition Foundation. The Future of Personalised Nutrition 2025. https://r.news.nutrition.org.uk/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsEagAvqdwtDVb4GxTwoNx/hAYQa_BXuB33