Nutrigenomics: Exploiting systems biology in the nutrition and health arena

Abstract

Nutritional sciences are discovering the application of the so-called 'omics' sciences. Propelled by the recent unravelling of the human genome and the coinciding technological developments, genotyping, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics are now available to nutritional research. In the future we are likely to see new screening tools for the selection of bioactive nutrients, new biomarkers for the in vivo efficacy of nutrients, and better insight into the influence of genetic polymorphisms on nutrient metabolism. However, are these promises just based on biotechnological hype or is a real fundamental change in human nutritional sciences at hand?