Ahmed El-Sohemy
Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Toronto
Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomix Inc.
Toronto – Sydney
Santiago – São Paulo
Chief Scientific Officer
Do our genes determine what we should eat?
The evolution of personalized nutrition

Diet Genes
Using genetic information and genomic
technologies to investigate how nutrients
interact with our genome to impact our health
and performance.
Food preferences
The Science of Nutrigenomics

Increase
Decrease
No Effect
Genes
Genotype A
Genotype C
Genotype B
Health
OutcomeNutrition
Why bother with genetics/genomics?
One size does not fit all

Increase
Decrease
No Effect
Genes
Genotype A
Genotype C
Genotype B
CVDCoffee
Is Coffee associated with CVD?

caffeine
magnesium
potassium
polyphenols
aliphatic acids
diterpenoids
melanoidins
Bioactives in Coffee

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine)

“The Legal Alternative”

Caffeine
CYP1A2
1-methylxanthine
1-methyluric acid
5-acetylamino-6-
formylamino-3-
methyluracil
1,7-dimethyluric acid
Paraxanthine

AA AC CC
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
CYP1A2 Genotype
%Inducibility
slow
fast
Genetic Variation in CYP1A2 -163 AC

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
<1 cup/d
1 cup/d
2-3 cups/d
4 cups/d
Total Population
OddsRatio
*
* P<0.05
Cornelis et al., JAMA 295: 1135-41, 2006
Coffee Intake and Risk of Heart Attacks

Coffee Intake and Risk of Heart Attacks
AA AC + CC
0
1
2
3
4
<1 cup/d
1 cup/d
2-3 cups/d
4 cups/d
CYP1A2 Genotype
OddsRatio
Subjects <50 Years of Age
* P<0.05
*
*
*
*
Cornelis et al., JAMA 295: 1135-41, 2006

AA AC + CC
0
1
2
3
4
Abstainers
1-3 cups/day
4 cups/day
CYP1A2 Genotype
HazardRatio
Palatini et al., J Hypertens 27: 1594-1601, 2009
Coffee Intake and Risk of Hypertension
* P<0.05
*
*
*

Coffee Intake and Risk of Pre-Diabetes

Personalized Dietary Advice
Public Health Recommendations
vs

“There are spectacular metabolic differences in
people, and to expect that coffee will have the
same health effects on everyone is absurd,”
- Dr. Sander Greenland
Professor Emeritus, Epidemiology
UCLA

“Unfortunately, because genetic testing is
expensive and rarely done, most people have
little idea which gene variant they carry.”
- Panel Member

USA, 2007-2012
UK/USA, 2000 - 2009
USA, 2007-??
USA, 2009
Canada, 2009-2012
Iceland, 2007-2012
USA, 2006
USA, 2007
USA, 2001
Australia, 2008-2013
USA, 2000
UK, 2010
Consumer Genetic Tests
Canada, 2011

Does genetic information influence behaviour?

 DNA-based dietary advice resulted in:
 greater understanding of recommendations
 greater interest in learning more
 greater motivation to change eating habits

 Greater compliance after 1 year.
 DNA-based dietary advice is superior to the
one-size-fits-all general recommendations

Did you share the information in
the report with anyone?
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Control
Intervention
p < 0.001
* *
*

Which source do you feel would provide you with the
most accurate personal genetic information?
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
University
Research Lab
Healthcare
Professional
DTC Genetic
Testing Company
Control
Intervention
p = 0.56

Saliva collected into vial:
Quick, non-invasive
procedure
How Nutrigenomix® Works

7-Gene Test
45-Gene Test
Gluten Test
(2012)
(2016)
(2014)
Sample Reports

Covering these 7 aspects of health:
New 45-Gene Test

Sample Report

Null Functional
0
10
20
30
40
<RDA
Meets RDA
GST-T genotype
SerumAscorbicAcid
(mol/L)
Caucasians
Null Functional
0
10
20
30
40
GST-T Genotype
SerumAscorbicAcid
(mol/L)
East Asians
Vitamin C Intake
GST-T Genotype and Serum Ascorbic Acid Deficiency
P=0.001 for diet-gene interaction P=0.02 for diet-gene interaction
Cahill et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2009
20% null 50% null

Starter Package for Clinics

Distributors
 China
 Hong Kong
 Macau
 Brazil
 Chile
 United Kingdom
 United Arab Emirates
 Kuwait
 Israel

Coming Soon

Is DNA-based Dietary Advice Ready for
Prime Time?
• Scientific evidence is robust (studies replicated)
• Information is actionable and “personalized”
• Increasing consumer awareness and demand
• Improved compliance (evidence from RCT)
• Focus on wellness/prevention, not disease treatment
• Independent of ethnic background
Yes

“…making day-to-day decisions about what to
eat based on their particular genetic makeup.”
~1/3 of consumers will focus on personalized nutrition

Products developed for your genetics

- Hippocrates (480 BC)
“Positive health requires a knowledge of man’s primary
constitution and of the powers of various foods, both
those natural to them and those resulting from human
skill.”
Personalized Nutrition
Genotype

Website: www.Nutrigenomix.com
Email: info@nutrigenomix.com
Ahmed El-Sohemy, PhD (click below to watch video)
Chief Scientific Officer
Nutrigenomix Inc.
a.el.sohemy@nutrigenomix.com
1-800-250-4NGX
Contact Information

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