Precision nutrition: Maintaining scientific integrity while realizing market potential

Abstract

Precision Nutrition (PN) is an approach to developing comprehensive and dynamic nutritional recommendations based on individual variables, including genetics, microbiome, metabolic profile, health status, physical activity, dietary pattern, food environment as well as socioeconomic and psychosocial characteristics. PN can help answer the question “What should I eat to be healthy?”, recognizing that what is healthful for one individual may not be the same for another, and understanding that health and responses to diet change over time. The growth of the PN market has been driven by increasing consumer interest in individualized products and services coupled with advances in technology, analytics, and omic sciences. However, important concerns are evident regarding the adequacy of scientific substantiation supporting claims for current products and services. An additional limitation to accessing PN is the current cost of diagnostic tests and wearable devices. Despite these challenges, PN holds great promise as a tool to improve healthspan and reduce healthcare costs. Accelerating advancement in PN will require: (a) investment in multidisciplinary collaborations to enable the development of user-friendly tools applying technological advances in omics, sensors, artificial intelligence, big data management, and analytics; (b) engagement of healthcare professionals and payers to support equitable and broader adoption of PN as medicine shifts toward preventive and personalized approaches; and (c) system-wide collaboration between stakeholders to advocate for continued support for evidence-based PN, develop a regulatory framework to maintain consumer trust and engagement, and allow PN to reach its full potential.