By: Madlen Wendland
One plate holds eggs and avocado. Another
has oatmeal topped with berries. A third has a biscuit with hash browns.
Breakfast can look different for everyone, but the choices are not random. They
are personal and reflect how people view food.
A similar idea is the growing trend
of personalized nutrition, where diets are tailored to the individual and their
genes, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. In addition,
personalized nutrition focuses more on individual needs, habits, and health
goals.
At its core, the idea is simple. No
two people or their bodies are the same, so diets should be different too.
“Nutrition is a science, not an
opinion,” Madison Crockett, assistant director of nutrition and sustainability
at Georgia Southern University, said. “It is how your body processes what you
eat and breaks it down into the nutrients it needs to function.”
Research is constantly evolving
when it comes to studying factors such as genetics, metabolism, lifestyle, and
how processes differ from person to person. According to “Advanced Nutrition
and Human Metabolism” by Sareen S. Gropper and Jack L. Smith, nutritional
genomics is a growing field that examines how genes and the environment
interact to influence health and disease risk.
Crockett also said that many people
misunderstand what eating healthy looks like.
“A lot of people expect
restrictions and rules,” Crockett said. “They think healthy food does not taste
good, but that is a huge misconception.”
Rebekah Leger, a registered dietitian
at Georgia Southern, connects this misconception to the failure of regular
diets.
“People have followed generic diet
advice for years and wondered why it is not working for everyone,” Leger said.
“This is where personalized nutrition comes into play. It helps to explain
those differences and why some things work better for one person and not for
another.”
Leger works closely with some
professors who conduct research in the field of genetics in relation to
nutrition, and said that some research approaches focus on genetics and suggest
that DNA can influence how people process nutrients or respond to certain
foods. However, the science in this field is still new and developing.
“There is not enough strong
evidence to give specific advice based only on genetics,” Leger said. “But it
can show if someone may be more predisposed to certain diseases and what could
help to prevent or reduce the risk or progression.”
According to “Advanced Nutrition
and Human Metabolism” gene variations can lead to conditions like diabetes or
food intolerance if combined with environmental factors like diet.
Both dietitians say that genetics
is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to personalized nutrition, and many
other factors must be taken into consideration.
“Things like sleep, stress,
activity, and just the overall lifestyle are all factors that impact a person’s
health,” Crockett said. “If all these factors are taken into account, plus a
person’s genetic material, personalized nutrition has real potential to improve
health outcomes.”
For Karlee Wells, a biology student
at Georgia Southern University who is currently on a nutrition plan, the
combination of genetics and lifestyle factors changed her eating habits and
improved her life immensely.
“I thought I was doing everything
right,” Wells said. “I ate healthy and followed a high-protein diet, but I was
still always tired. Then I learned more about genetics and the influence it can
have on nutrition, and since I started a personalized diet and nutrition, it
clicked for me.”
After adjusting her meals to her
body and focusing more on sleep and recovery, Wells began to feel better. She
said that, due to social media, she was influenced a lot by the idea that one
diet is best and should work for everyone. However, she realized that being
healthy was not just about food.
Leger said that this is one of the
biggest benefits of personalized nutrition. It looks at the full picture and
everything that makes the person, instead of focusing on a single factor like
calories or carbs.
“People often think there is an
easy fix to eating healthier,” Leger said. “Like if I do this, then I’ll get
that result. But nutrition does not work like this.”
One of the biggest challenges
nutrition has is behavior. Leger said that if you are not willing to fix your
behavior and follow a plan made for you, whether personalized or not, nothing
will change.
Looking ahead, both nutritionists
say that personalized nutrition will likely continue to evolve as research and
technology improve. Social media will play a big part in people’s behavior and
beliefs, depending on what is currently trending.
“It is hard to predict where things
will go,” Crockett said. “But I hope we continue to focus on balance and
science-based information rather than trends.”
Breakfast might still look
different for everyone, but those differences are no longer based on trends or
guessing. They reflect the growing understanding that nutrition looks different
for everyone and is not one-size-fits-all.