Page 56 - FoodFocusThailand No.189 December 2021
P. 56

STRATEGIC R & D






            What Is Personalized
            Nutrition?
            Personalized nutrition is
            a nutritional counseling
            service tailored to suit
            individual characteristics. Since
            people have different biological
            traits dictated by their genetic
            predisposition and environments, each
            person  has  unique  nutritional  needs  and
            requires individualized dietary consumption.
            An assessment of these individual traits can help achieve
            the nutritional counsel that effectively and beneficially meet
            their biological needs.


            Personalized Nutrition


            and Related Factors for Analysis








               The main goal of personalized nutrition is to improve an individual’s   due to consumption of high-sodium food. Such tests are conducted so
            health while taking into consideration his or her genetic makeup,   that nutritionally adequate foods can be prepared for and catered to their
            biological attributes, personal consumption behavior, and other relevant   personnel. The preparation of genetically compatible food is, therefore,
            elements. Also known as tailored dietary advice, this counseling offers   of similar nature to the concept of personalized nutrition.
            more specific nutritional consultation. Its main objective is to treat and   The preparation of dietary plans that can optimally respond to different
            prevent non-communicative diseases (NCDs), as well as to reduce   physiological and genetic conditions must be based on a large volume
            the risk factors thereof.  NCDs are associated with metabolic disorders   of biological data. As a result, genetic diagnostic technologies, such as
            induced by unhealthy consumption behaviors. Personalized nutrition   DNA testing, are employed in nutritional management by scientists. Also
            offers an effective dietary consultation that is ideal for one’s nutritional   known as nutrigenomics, this innovation is used in the USA, especially
            requirements and provides a healthy dietary plan. There are also other   for athletes,  who require  strict  dietary  planning to  optimize  their
            variables that must be considered, such as physical activity, physical   physiological competency for training and competition. It can also be
            exercise, physical movement and intestinal microbiome.  used in dietary planning for individuals with obesity and diabetes. In
                                                                  Thailand, personalized nutrition technology comes in the form of
            Factors for Personalized Nutrition Analysis           customized vitamins. In hospitals, a complete body checkup is conducted
               Genetics Genetic factors can reveal various potential reactions   to identify the current levels of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and
            that different individuals may have on certain types of food, such as   hormones in the patient’s body to ensure accurate and personalized
            people with hypolactasia, celiac disease, or phenylketuronia (PKU)   subsequent treatments. If the deficiency of any vitamin or mineral is
            — a disorder caused by the deficiency of the enzyme that can break   detected, the vitamin or mineral in question will be prescribed accordingly.
            down phenylalanine, an amino acid that can be found in all types of   The assessment of personalized nutrition can be divided into 3 steps.
            protein-based food and whose overaccumulation within the body can   The first one is the general nutritional assessment according to age,
            cause brain damage and severe intellectual disability. Personalized   gender, and other social variables. The second is more specific as it
            nutrition for individuals at higher risk for these hereditary disorders,   involves the evaluation of genetic traits, such as skin color. The third
            therefore, must exclude any food that may trigger the symptoms of   step is the analysis of genes or DNA that may affect the potential
            these diseases. In the private sector, some organizations conduct   reactions to the individual’s dietary consumption. These three factors
            genetic tests on their personnel to identify the specificity of caffeine   are the main pillar of personalized nutrition. Nutrition science will face a
            metabolism and its metabolites, to analyze the risk for weight gain after   challenging future overwhelmed with obesity and NCDs caused by the
            saturated fat ingestion, or to assess the increase in risk for hypertension   environments that encourage widespread consumption of unhealthy
                                                                  food.
             56  FOOD FOCUS THAILAND  DEC   2021


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