In recent years, scientific advances have given the relationship between what we eat and our health a whole new dimension. It is no longer just a matter of choosing healthy foods, but of understanding how each person responds differently to the same nutrients. This approach gave rise a few years ago to the paradigm of personalized or precision nutrition, whose goal continues to be to tailor diets to the individual characteristics of each person rather than to the population as a whole. Personalized nutrition takes into account aspects such as genetics, environmental exposure and its potential epigenetic changes, as well as the composition of each individual’s gut microbiota and lifestyle.
Nutrigenetics is the branch of science that studies how our genes influence the way we metabolize nutrients. For example, some people have genetic variations that affect vitamin D absorption, caffeine metabolism, or response to saturated fats. Understanding these differences allows for the design of more effective nutritional recommendations tailored to the actual needs of each individual, as well as the creation of new food products that are easier to metabolize.
On the other hand, nutrigenomics focuses on how diet can modify the expression of our genes. Factors such as diet, stress, sleep, or exposure to toxins can “turn on” or “turn off” certain genes, affecting essential biological functions such as metabolism, inflammation, or the immune system [1].
Together, these sciences have shown that diet can directly influence the prevention and development of chronic diseases that are highly prevalent in our population, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even certain types of cancer. In this context, functional foods play a fundamental role. These are products that, in addition to providing nutritional value, offer proven benefits for specific bodily functions, thereby helping to improve health or reduce the risk of disease. Unlike supplements or drugs, functional foods are part of the daily diet and look like conventional foods.
These foods usually contain bioactive ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, probiotics, antioxidants, or plant compounds (such as polyphenols). Incorporating them into your diet can have effects such as:
- Improved intestinal transit
- Strengthened immune system
- Control of cholesterol and blood glucose
- Prevention of cardiovascular disease
- Protection against oxidative cell damage
Consumer acceptance of functional foods depends on multiple factors. Older people tend to have a more favorable attitude toward them, as they value the long-term health benefits. Women, on the other hand, tend to be more willing to accept compromises between taste and functionality. In addition, consumers with greater nutritional knowledge are more likely to seek foods enriched with fiber, antioxidants, or other healthy compounds [2].
Other factors also influence acceptance, such as trust in labels and packaging, the perception of naturalness, and the credibility of the claimed benefits. In this regard, clear, honest communication based on scientific evidence is key to promoting the acceptance and consumption of these types of products [3,4,5]. At Fruselva, we work on this aspect with all our customers, offering clear, clean, and easy-to-understand labeling on both our conventional and functional products.
Our R&D team has been working for years on different research projects integrating personalized nutrition with functional foods. Creating products specifically designed for different genetic, metabolic, or lifestyle profiles, as well as ages or diseases.
In this regard, some personalized nutrition services already use genetic testing to offer individualized recommendations. However, the real challenge lies in translating that knowledge into specific products that are accessible and easy for the general public to consume [4,5].
In this context, at Fruselva, our innovation department is committed to the formulation and development of functional foods that meet the needs of the population, including children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly, with the goal of revolutionizing the way we eat, allowing each person to have a diet tailored to their specific needs.
References
- Agrawal, P., Kaur, J., Singh, J., Rasane, P., Sharma, K., Bhadariya, V., … Kumar, V. (2023). Genetics, Nutrition, and Health: A New Frontier in Disease Prevention. Journal of the American Nutrition Association, 43(4), 326–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/27697061.2023.2284997
- Vanin, F. M., de Carvalho, R. A., Dos Santos Garcia, V. A., & Yoshida, C. M. P. (2023). Bioactive Ingredients for Safe and Health-Promoting Functional Foods. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 12(22), 4134. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12224134
- Topolska K, Florkiewicz A, Filipiak-Florkiewicz A. Functional Food-Consumer Motivations and Expectations. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 17;18(10):5327. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105327
- Bordoni, Alessandra; Capozzi, Francesco. Foodomics for healthy nutrition. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 17(5):p 418-424, September 2014. | https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0000000000000089
- Roosen, J., Bruhn, M., Mecking, R. A., & Drescher, L. S. (2008). Consumer demand for personalized nutrition and functional food. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition, 78(6), 269–274. https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831.78.6.269