A study led by José María Ordovás of Spain, director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory at Tufts University (U.S.), has demonstrated the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in preventing stroke as well as in controlling glucose and lipid levels.
The researchers cross-referenced data from the PREDIMED study, which analyzed more than 7,000 individuals, focusing on the rs7903146 polymorphism. This research showed that 14% of the study participants had two copies of this genetic variant, making them more likely to develop metabolic problems.
At the same time, the team led by Ordovás found that people who did not follow the guidelines of the Mediterranean diet had higher glucose and cholesterol levels than those who did, making them more likely to suffer strokes. Specifically, strokes were three times more common among those who did not follow these dietary guidelines.
José María Ordovás discusses the most significant aspect of his discovery. “The most important factor for overall progress is precisely the addition of new genes and polymorphisms with effects similar to those described in this study, which will enable us to make sense of and complete the puzzle of gene-diet interactions. This will make it possible in the future to recommend truly effective, personalized diets based on genomic individuality,” he says.
The study of genetics is one of the cornerstones of Biosalud. We believe that our genes are the most important factor, and that we must take them into account in order to follow a diet that is fully balanced and tailored to each individual’s specific needs.
To achieve this personalized approach to nutrition, at Biosalud we have two tools that help us assess each case that comes to our clinic on an individual basis.
First, we conduct a food intolerance test, in which we assess the patient’s tolerance to 300 allergens to determine whether they are allergic to any of them and need to eliminate those foods from their diet for a period of time.
The latest offering from Biosalud is FoodGen, a test that analyzes each individual’s genetics and provides personalized dietary guidelines based on those results. Everything is fully customized for each patient according to their genetic predisposition.
