Nutriepigenomics

Nutriepigenomics is a scientific discipline that studies the effects of nutrition and dietary components on the epigenome. The epigenome is a set of chemical compounds that can tell the genome what to do. The human genome is the complete set of human genetic information, stored as DNA sequences within the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus of each human cell.

Overview

The field of nutriepigenomics is concerned with how nutrients and bioactive food compounds can change the epigenetic phenomena such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA expression, thereby modifying the expression of critical genes associated with physiologic and pathologic processes, including embryonic development, aging, and carcinogenesis.

Nutrients and Epigenetic Changes

Several nutrients have been identified to have an impact on epigenetic mechanisms. These include folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, methionine, choline, and betaine, which are involved in DNA methylation through one-carbon metabolism. Other nutrients, such as retinoic acid, resveratrol, curcumin, sulforaphane, polyphenols, and tea catechins, can also modify histone acetylation and methylation patterns.

Implications for Health and Disease

The study of nutriepigenomics has significant implications for human health and disease. It can provide insights into how diet and nutrition influence the epigenome and thereby affect health outcomes. This knowledge can be used to develop personalized dietary recommendations and interventions to prevent or manage diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Future Directions

Future research in nutriepigenomics will likely focus on understanding the complex interactions between dietary factors and the epigenome, and how these interactions influence disease risk and progression. This research could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for disease prevention and treatment.

See Also

• Epigenetics
• Nutrigenomics
• Nutrigenetics
• Genomics
• Genetics

References

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