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Example of Applications
Developments in the field of nutrigenomics have begun to reveal important connections between human health and disease. An area of this field that is widely studied is the importance of micronutrients and their interactions with the human genome to produce the healthiest outcome. The ideal result will be highly varied throughout the population due to the highly complex human genome that has many unknown components and differs in every individual. For this reason, research yields conflicting results and reinforces the need for personalized medicine.

One example of a widely studied micronutrient is selenium. It is known that an insufficient intake of selenium may contribute to the development and seriousness of chronic diseases and excessive amounts can be toxic. Also demonstrated is the fact that different amounts of consumed selenium greatly affect gene expression. One of the ways selenium impacts DNA is through the human body’s utilization of this micronutrient to produce selenoproteins. Many of these proteins are antioxidants and protect the body by repairing damaged DNA due to free radicals. Nutrigenomics has brought attention to the importance of micronutrients and it is just the beginning for the transformation of human health.

Gene-diet-disease interaction
Another example of gene and nutrient interaction is a condition known as celiac disease. In contrast to phenylketonuria, celiac disease is known as a polygenic disease, which is characterized by multiple genes and their interaction with nutrients. Celiac disease is a heritable condition that leads to intestinal and chronic inflammation from ingestion of gluten. Consumption of gluten may affect intestinal cell structure and functions by modulating gene expression. The adoption of a gluten-free diet is indisputably effective and it prevents damage to the intestinal wall. Both nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are necessary in understanding the function of the genetic polymorphisms involved in celiac disease.

1. Selenium and Chronic Diseases
The advancement of technologies of nutritional genomics has enabled a more comprehensive understanding of the micronutrient selenium and its connection to human health and disease. Selenium is required to produce selenoproteins, many of which have antioxidant qualities and defend against free radicals. Unfortunately, the complexity of the human genome yields conflicting results about the benefits of selenium and a better understanding of the molecular pathways and mechanisms that selenium is involved in is required to provide more conclusive evidence.

2. Nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and selenium
As with other micronutrients, insufficient amounts of selenium may contribute to the development and severity of chronic diseases and excess amounts can be toxic. The new field of nutritional genomics conducts tests using large sample sizes, which is great if certain connections can be made across many sub-populations; however, this is not relevant when it comes to individualism and personalization, some of the most important aspects of nutritional genomics. Current studies about optimum selenium levels show that it must be individualized or the outcome may be negative.

3. Nutrigenomics: A controversy
Multiple genes and their interaction with nutrients characterize celiac disease. This is in contrast to phenylketonuria, which involves a single genetic defect. The ingestion of gluten causes chronic inflammation and can lead to changes in the genetic makeup of the intestinal wall.

4. Celiac Disease, Inflammation and Oxidative Damage
Both nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics have given important insights into the mechanisms involved with the gluten intolerance characteristic of celiac disease. The increase in oxidizing agents and a decrease in antioxidants is involved in the inflammation of intestinal wall. Using nutritional genomics as a medical therapy, antioxidant agents like vitamin C, can help alleviate the damage done by gluten in patients with celiac disease.