Sciona DNA Diet Based On Genetic Analysis – May Be Better than Atkins South Beach or Zone Diets - Nutrigenomics May Prevent Disease

March 17th 2006

Sciona Logo

There is a new genetic test customers can take at home that may help determine which diet is best for them. Potential dieters swab the inside of their cheek to collect a DNA sample, fill out a questionnaire, and send them both back to Sciona. Sciona is a privately held, international company that provides personalized health and nutrition recommendations based on an individual’s diet, lifestyle and unique genetic profile.

The company analyzes 19 genes that affect bone health, heart health, antioxidant and detoxification, insulin resistance, and inflammation. After the analysis they will recommend dietary changes to counteract the customer’s genetic weaknesses.

Sciona’s Director of Nutrition, Yael Joffe says, “You may eat well, exercise, and take nutritional supplements, but minor variations in your genes can put you at risk." The Nutrigenetic testing will identify genetic variations which may indicate an individual's risk for developing specific health conditions including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Some say this approach is worth investigating. In a report on ABC News, Dr. David Harber of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition said “This is going to be the most revolutionary new change in nutrition in decades.”

Others are more cautious. According to Dr. Louis Aronne of the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, the biggest issue is that these diets haven't been tested. Aronne asks, “What happens if you put someone on a diet based on the genetic information? And the bottom line is we have no clue that they will be better."

It appears Nutrigenomics has caught on. According to a press release from Tufts University, experts from around the world are getting together to “create an international consortium with which to harness the power and expertise of a large collaborative network of nutritional genomics researchers dedicated to investigating how genetics and nutrition can promote health or prevent disease.”

According to José Ordovas, PhD, “Advancing our knowledge of diet-gene interactions is critical, but knowledge alone is not sufficient for us to effectively address health disparities and combat chronic disease throughout the world." Ordovas is director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

The collaborative gorup hopes to create an interaction of partners from agriculture, food processing, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries with academic centers in order to accelerate technology development and the dissemination of nutrigenomic information to the public. Ultimately they hope to sway public policy as well, in an effort to develop more nutritious foods and formulations.