Nutrigenomics — Diet Of The Future?

Monday, November 20, 2006 | 5:32 PM

By Carolyn Johnson

Nov. 19 – KGO (KGO) — The diet of the future will likely depend on your genetic make up. It’s called nutrigenomics, and companies are already marketing the technology to dieters looking to lead healthier lives. But critics say it’s premature and there’s not yet enough information available as to how food and diet truly interact with ones genes.

Biljana Mihailovich lost 17 pounds and 3 1/2 inches around her waist and she credits Los Angeles-based nutritionist Carolyn Katzin for her success.

Biljana Mihailovic, DNA Diet Client: “Initially I came to lose weight and in the 6 weeks I did lose it. But I stayed on her diet and I stayed on her recommendations and I feel a lot healthier.”

Katzin’s trademarked plan is called the DNA Diet. She says most of her clients actually aren’t looking to lose weight, but to optimize their health.

Carolyn Katzin, Certified Nutrition Specialist: “We can probably eat a wide range of foods and live in a wide range of temperatures, but there’s a difference between surviving and thriving.”

Katzin’s clients first complete a kit, filling out a lifestyle questionarre and using swabs to collect cells from inside the cheek.

The samples are then sent to Sciona Labs for nutritional genetic testing. Nineteen genes are analyzed.

Sciona’s website says it zeroes in on variations in genes that affect everything from bone and heart health to insulin sensitivity and detoxification.

Dr. Jim Kaput, Director, UC Nutrigenomic Medicine Lab: “The 19 genes is a good start, but you’ve got to remember we have an estimated 25,000 genes in our DNA and they’re only testing a small proportion of them.”

Molecular biologist Jim Kaput directs the laboratory of nutrigenomic medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

While he says the science behind these tests is valid, he’s concerned about trying to do too much, too soon with it.

Dr. Jim Kaput: “For any nutrient that you eat, it will interact with more than just one gene, so if you have a gene that works with antioxidants, you can’t say because of that one gene you should eat more broccoli.”

But Carolyn Katzin believes analyzing these 19 genes offers an important beginning.

Carolyn Katzin, Certified Nutrition Specialist: “If I tell someone they have this particular gene called the glutathione-s-transferase mu, which is a very important detox gene, and many people are missing it — maybe as many as 50 percent of Caucasians are missing it — then you have an opportunity to eat vegetables that will help support your other liver enzymes that are more specialized to take the place of that.”

Biljana’s genetic testing found her so-called “detox gene” to be null or inactive. Katzin explained the lab results to her and recommended upping her intake of cabbage, onion and garlic, to compensate, as well as giving her recipes customized to meet her needs.

Biljana says the personalization made a big difference.

Biljana Mihailovic, DNA Diet Client: “It was a lot more specific and tailored, yes, because it never worked before and now it worked.”

Katzin also relies on the basics — measuring and weighing her clients, doing body fat analysis and charting the changes.

She sees the genetic testing as one more tool and a motivating force.

Carolyn Katzin, Certified Nutrition Specialist: “There is new evidence coming out of England and other places that if you give individuals their genetic test results, even if it’s for a couple of genes and if it can motivate those people to change their lifestyle, there’s actually a benefit for that.”

But there’s also a hefty price associated with these genetic tests, ranging from a couple hundred dollars to more than $1,000, and without a knowledgeable nutritionist working with you, Kaput questions the value.

Dr. Jim Kaput, Director, UC Nutrigenomic Medicine Lab: “Most of the time the dietary advice that’s given by these companies you could probably just get off the web.”

As for the science to back up nutrient-gene interaction, Kaput expects major advances within the next decade as more research funding is made available both here and in Europe.

He’d like to see a certification program for the field of nutritional genomics, something Katzin — who’s studied under Kaput — welcomes.

Carolyn Katzin, Certified Nutrition Specialist: “It is an enormously complex field and there are no simple answers. I’m trying to make it accessible to people, trying to help people understand that this is relevant and it’s the future and this is how we’re beginning.”

UC Davis is home to the Center of Excellence for Nutritional Genomics. It’s a partnership among the University, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, the Ethnic Health Institute, and the USDA Western Human Nutrition Research Center.

For more information on that, read The Back Story.

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