RobinN
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How would you like to take a simple blood test and receive an "intelligent" diet plan tailored to your genetic makeup that could potentially stop chronic diseases long before they ever emerge? Such is the promise behind the Human Genome Project as discussed in the New York Times article "What Your Genes Want You to Eat," by Bruce Grierson.
Scientists are beginning to acknowledge that diet plays a major role in chronic disease, and may even be responsible for one-third of cancers. However, everyone needs a unique diet because its influence depends on an individual's genetic makeup. And, eating a diet that is particularly wrong for your genetic makeup can cause gene expressions that promote chronic illness. On the other hand, eating an "intelligent" diet that balances your system can prevent such illnesses from occurring.
Under this premise, one person may thrive on a diet of primarily salmon, spinach and olive oil while another may do well on red meat, peanut butter and cheeses.
Although researchers suggest that most people's preferred diets will be similar to the basic diet of plenty of fruits and vegetables recommended by the Department of Agriculture, the implications of such individualized diets are many. Lifespan could potentially be lengthened and many chronic illnesses could become a thing of the past.
Several companies are already offering genetics testing, with some charging as much as $1,500 for a "preventive health profile." However, some say that a widespread approach to "eating right for your genotype" may not be available for two or more decades.
Please visit the New York Times Web site to read the actual article. You will need to register on their site (it's free) to view this important article.
" ... diet is a big factor in chronic disease, responsible, some say, for a third of most types of cancer. Dietary chemicals change the expression of one"s genes and even the genome itself. And -- here"s the key -- the influence of diet on health depends on an individual"s genetic makeup. ... A diet that"s particularly out of balance, nutritional-genomics scientists say, will cause gene expressions that nudge us toward chronic illness -- unless a precisely tailored ""intelligent diet"" is employed to restore the equilibrium.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/14/genetic-type-diet.aspx