Cited by 157Nutrition, Genetics, and DiseaseSodium Intake and HealthNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Disclosure of genetic information and change in dietary intake: a randomized controlled trial

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Nielsen, Daiva E., El-Sohemy, Ahmed·2014·PLoS ONE

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Proponents of consumer genetic tests claim that the information can positively impact health behaviors and aid in chronic disease prevention. However, the effects of disclosing genetic information on dietary intake behavior are not clear. METHODS: A double-blinded, parallel group, 2:1 online randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the short- and long-term effects of disclosing nutrition-related genetic information for personalized nutrition on dietary intakes of caffeine, vitamin C, added sugars, and sodium. Participants were healthy men and women aged 20-35 years (n = 138). The intervention group (n = 92) received personalized DNA-based dietary advice for 12-months and the control group (n = 46) received general dietary recommendations with no genetic information for 12-months. Food frequency questionnaires were collected at baseline and 3- and 12-months after the intervention to assess dietary intakes. General linear models were used to compare changes in intakes between those receiving general dietary advice and those receiving DNA-based dietary advice. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, no significant changes to dietary intakes of the nutrients were observed at 3-months. At 12-months, participants in the intervention group who possessed a risk version of the ACE gene, and were advised to limit their sodium intake, significantly reduced their sodium intake (mg/day) compared to the control group (-287.3 ± 114.1 vs. 129.8 ± 118.2, p = 0.008). Those who had the non-risk version of ACE did not significantly change their sodium intake compared to the control group (12-months: -244.2 ± 150.2, p = 0.11). Among those with the risk version of the ACE gene, the proportion who met the targeted recommendation of 1500 mg/day increased from 19% at baseline to 34% after 12 months (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that disclosing genetic information for personalized nutrition results in greater changes in intake for some dietary components compared to general population-based dietary advice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01353014.

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  • Some studies identify genetic variants related to lipid, caffeine, and sodium metabolism.

    “Some studies identify variants related to lipid, caffeine, and sodium metabolism [145,146].”

    From The Seven Methods for the Evaluation of Nutritional Status—ABCDEFG: Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [145]

    Materials and Methods (Dietary Reports and Recommendations; page unavailable) identifies variants affecting caffeine metabolism (CYP1A2) and sodium sensitivity (ACE). The paper does not identify a variant related to lipid metabolism, so it supports only two of the three components attributed to it. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Earlier PN interventions improved sodium intake in people at higher genotypic risk.

    “Previous PN interventions have achieved improvements in sodium intake in individuals at higher genotypic-based risk (20), however, the Food4Me PoP study was the first to examine the effect of including genotype-based PN on overall patterns of healthy eating.”

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  1. [26]National Research Council (2006) Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC.

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Authors
Nielsen, D. E., & El-Sohemy, A.
Affiliations
University of Toronto (CA)
Venue
PLoS ONE
Published
2014-11-14
Volume
9
Issue
11
Pages
e112665
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1989879035
Cited by
157
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 3
FWCI
7.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Advanced Foods and Materials Network
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (89829_1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Nutrition, Genetics, and Disease
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Sodium Intake and Health
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
genetic information disclosure, consumer genetic testing, personalized nutrition, ACE gene, sodium intake, caffeine consumption, vitamin C intake, added sugars, chronic disease prevention
MeSH terms
Adult, Diet, Female, Genetic Testing, Humans, Male, Linear Models, Disclosure, Nutrigenomics, Precision Medicine

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