DNA Testing May Help Provide More Effective Diet Regimens

First Posted: Nov 14, 2014 04:17 PM EST
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Losing weight can be more difficult for some than others. Now, recent findings published in the journal PLOS ONE reveal that catering to certain genetic markers could help create specific diet plans that may prove more effective for weight loss.

"We conducted the first randomized controlled trial to determine the impact of disclosing DNA-based dietary advice on eating habits," said Ahmed El-Sohemy, an Associate Professor in Nutritional Sciences at U of T and Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics, in a news release. "We found that people who receive DNA-based advice improve their diet to a greater extent than those who receive the standard dietary advice. They're also the ones who need to change it the most."

For the study, researchers recruited 138 healthy young people, studying their caffeine intake, sodium, vitamin C and sugar. The sample was randomly divided into two groups which were the DNA-based and control groups. People in the DNA-based diet groups received personalized nutrition recommendations based on their genetics while the team assessed their diets after three and then 12 months.

Findings revealed that participants who had a gene tied to salt intake often fared better by reducing their sodium consumption.

"This study addresses some notable limitations in previous studies that attempted to measure the impact of disclosing genetic information on lifestyle changes," said El-Sohemy according to the press release. "Previous studies focused on disease risk prediction rather than metabolic genes that affect specific components of the diet. This is the first time that the impact of dietary advice based on diet-related genes with specific actionable advice has been tested."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal PLOS ONE.

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