The future of medicine is here, and guess what the cutting-edge "drug" is?
Food.
And no - that's not an April Fool's joke.
Actually, the future of medicine has only just walked in the door (so to speak). So it may be awhile before you consult a nutrigenomic specialist who might, for instance, write a "prescription" for a high intake of oranges, carrots and bilberries to help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration.
Nutrigenomics is the relatively new science that attempts to understand the effects that nutrients have on genes. As scientists have known for many years, different people have different genetic inclinations. One person may be genetically inclined to become anemic, while another may be inclined to develop a specific cancer. Current research is taking that knowledge to the next step: addressing genetic inclinations with nutrition.
At Tufts University in Boston, for instance, Dr. Joel Mason is studying the impact of folate on genetic material, especially as it applies to colon cancer. Folate has been shown to help prevent colon cancer, but it may offer more protection to those with a certain genetic makeup. The question Dr. Mason is trying to answer is: How do we determine the genetic type that requires higher folate intake to be effective against colon cancer?
Other similar research is underway, such as a Columbia University study I told you about last summer ("Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk" 8/19/02), that showed how elderly people who had a variation in a gene known as apoE e-4 were more likely (compared to those without the variation) to develop Alzheimer's disease if their fat and caloric intake was high.
In a report on the CBS show "Sunday Morning," Dr. Jose Ordovas (chief of the Tufts Nutrigenomics Lab) noted that the goal is to learn what each of us as individuals needs to feed our genes.
The day when it will be common to have food "prescribed" by a doctor with training in nutrigenomics is still some years away. And I have to wonder if it will never be quite that simple. I hope it will be, but as it is, doctors are not generally inclined to view treatments from a nutritional point of view. And how the pharmaceutical industry might attempt to insinuate itself on a system that is not only preventive, but also not focused on drugs is anyone's guess.
The CBS report featured several people who were taking health matters into their own hands by sending away for kits to collect DNA samples at home. These procedures are often as simple as just lightly swabbing the inside of the mouth with a Q-tip to sample saliva. The samples are returned to a lab, and results are ready within a few days.
Two screening companies that emphasize health concerns were highlighted in the CBS story: Healthcheck USA (healthcheckusa.com - which can test for a variety of different health problems), and Neo Gen Screening (neogenscreening.com - a company that specializes in screening infants). Another company - Myriad Genetic Laboratories (myriad.com) - was not included in the report, but appeared in the references in the online transcript of the story. Myriad is worth a mention here because they specialize in several different tests that determine genetic predispositions for hereditary cancer.
To be honest, a search for additional companies on the Internet was somewhat frustrating. It seems that the business of DNA screening is currently focused on paternity and genealogy tests. My guess is that as time goes by - and as breakthroughs are made in the field of nutrigenomics - we'll see more screening companies adding a greater range of testing.
One of the appealing features of DNA home screening kits is that you're in complete control of the tests. The results are confidential, so how you proceed with any necessary treatments is completely up to you. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to ask your doctor about this new diagnostic tool that rightly puts an emphasis on individuality, rather than the outmoded one-treatment-fits-all mindset of mainstream medicine.
I've never taken one of these tests myself, and I don't know anyone who has. If you've had an experience with this sort of DNA screening, I'd be interested in hearing about your experience with it - especially if you followed up on the results with a dietary change or some other preventive treatment.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
"Breaking the Code" Sunday Morning, CBS, 3/1/03, cbsnews.com
"Diet For Your Genes" CBS News, 2/27/03, cbsnews.com
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