Introduction to nutrigenomics

Until recent times, the nutritional study was solely about the deficiencies of nutrients and impairment of health. However, with the advent of genomics, nutrigenomics has gained unprecedented attention where the high throughput genomics techniques are combined with nutritional studies. With increasing health concerns, especially lifestyle related diseases, it is very important to focus on the individual nutritional requirement. Where, nutrigenomics bridges health, diet and genomics and can also be seen as a combination of nutrients at genetic and molecular level. The bioactive compounds present in the diet influence the expression of the gene in tissue and organ in a specific manner. Nutrigenomics can provide information on nutritional influence on metabolism and homeostasis which upon disruption can cause diet related diseases. Further, the possibility of individual sensitive genotypes towards the disease can also be predicted. Nutrigenomics can offer effective dietary-intervention strategies to maintain homeostasis and control diseases. With the advancement of science, especially the Human Genome Project (HGP), the interaction of different genes and nutrients can be studied in depth. Government interventions and regulations can further help to enhance the benefit of the nutrigenomics analysis. This book focuses on nutrigenomics with respect to disease control and current opportunities and challenges.