Nutritional genomics in practice: where do we begin?

Nutritional genomics, which studies the genome-wide influences of nutrition, has far-reaching potential in the prevention of diet-related disease. It is highly likely that during the next decade the nutritional supplement and functional food industries will continue robust growth in response to advances in nutritional genomics research and its applications. Parallel to this growth will be impressive progress in understanding the specific influence of certain food components on metabolic pathways and on long-term risk for disease. As genetic information about individuals becomes available, such data are likely to redefine the current concept of preventive medicine. Dietetics professionals have the potential to harness this information and influence health promotion and disease prevention on a global scale. For these reasons, the dietetics profession has an exciting opportunity that, if seized and properly executed, could enhance the scientific foundation of clinical practice, improve therapeutic outcomes, and significantly expand career and economic opportunities for practitioners. The future of dietetics is unquestionably intertwined with nutritional genomics.