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Review
. 2024 Feb 23;16(5):607.
doi: 10.3390/nu16050607.

Obesity and Nutrigenetics Testing: New Insights

Mychelle Kytchia Rodrigues Nunes Duarte  1 , Lúcia Leite-Lais  2 , Lucymara Fassarella Agnez-Lima  1   2 , Bruna Leal Lima Maciel  3   4   5 , Ana Heloneida de Araújo Morais  1   3   5
Affiliations
Review

Obesity and Nutrigenetics Testing: New Insights

Mychelle Kytchia Rodrigues Nunes Duarte et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Obesity results from interactions between environmental factors, lifestyle, and genetics. In this scenario, nutritional genomics and nutrigenetic tests stand out, with the promise of helping patients avoid or treat obesity. This narrative review investigates whether nutrigenetic tests may help to prevent or treat obesity. Scientific studies in PubMed Science Direct were reviewed, focusing on using nutrigenetic tests in obesity. The work showed that few studies address the use of tools in obesity. However, most of the studies listed reported their beneficial effects in weight loss. Ethical conflicts were also discussed, as in most countries, there are no regulations to standardize these tools, and there needs to be more scientific knowledge for health professionals who interpret them. International Societies, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, do not recommend nutrigenetic tests to prevent or treat obesity, especially in isolation. Advancing nutrigenetics depends on strengthening three pillars: regulation between countries, scientific evidence with clinical validity, and professional training.

Keywords: nutrigenetic testing; nutrition precision; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Main genes and pathways associated with obesity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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