What is Nutrigenomic Therapy?

Published on: March 13, 2016

A specialized area of holistic or natural medicine is nutritional genomics or nutrigenomics. This treatment or therapy option focuses on how genes are affected by diet and certain nutrients. Some people may have genetic markers that make them at higher risk for certain diseases and health issues that are affected by the foods they eat. Nutrigenomic therapy addresses this interaction of nutrients and genes to treat, prevent and mitigate serious health issues including cancers, heart diseases and other chronic conditions.

The idea behind nutrigenomics is that every person is unique and needs to be treated as an individual when addressing health issues. The genes or genetic makeup of one person is different than anyone else, affecting everything in their body from their hair color to how they react to certain nutrients. There are a few basic factors of nutrigenomic therapy, including:

  • A person’s diet can be a risk factor for certain diseases based on their genes
  • How much diet affects a person’s risk for disease can be based on their genetic components
  • Chemicals from diet can affect the human genome
  • Understanding a person’s genotype can help prevent, treat and mitigate many diseases.

Physicians that use nutrigenomic therapy as part of their approach to treating the cause of diseases look at a patient’s genotype and diet as part of the equation. Nutrigenomic therapy can help reduce health risks by altering the diet without the use of drugs. It can be used as part of an overall holistic approach to healthcare, looking at all factors that contribute to both disease and wellness. This is a very personalized approach to understanding how each person’s body is different and can respond differently to nutrients and other factors.

Posted on behalf of:
Wholistic Medicine Specialists of Atlanta
1055 Powers Place
Alpharetta, GA 30009
(678) 987-8451

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