Dietary patterns are strongly linked to 7 of the top 10 causes of illness and death in North America, including heart disease, obesity, several cancers, and diabetes.

The diet-gene-health interaction is receiving a lot of attention by research scientists as it is proving to be a very effective way to control disease outcome with more than just condition-specific positive changes. The newest studies indicate that in as little as in three months of implementing a healthy lifestyle, prostate cancer cells changed the expression of about 500 genes.

In the latest 2008 prostate cancer study, free PSA was reduced and most importantly, known cancer causing genes were down regulated and protective genes were switched on. This is very positive as these are genes that code for inflammation, fat metabolism and oxidation – all processes playing very important roles in the development in most first world chronic disease. The other important change observed in this group of men were weight loss and central obesity (a risk factor increasing all cause mortality), lowered blood pressure and lipid profiles among other improvements. The medicine used: eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.

The next important step is to find out how to make sure you have the right nutrition for your body type and genetic expression.  One of the more specific and individualized ways of assuring you are on the right track, is though Nutritional Genomic Testing. Currently tests that assess your individual expression of genes that either predispose you for, or protect you against cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, hormonal disorders, inflammatory conditions, immune and auto-immune conditions, environmental toxin related diseases, osteoporosis and autism to name the most important ones. The NutriGenomic tests include measures of specific defects in genetic expression/enzymes and specific interventions that would be most effective at correcting biochemical blocks or bottlenecks causing lack if immunity and a buildup of undesirable chemicals like cholesterol, toxins, proteins and hormones.

Many people suffering from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have challenges with the above. The great news is that now we can test to see where the problems are and which nutrients and medicines are needed to compensate for the suboptimal genetic expressions predisposing folks to have problems.

Back to basics: we are and become what we eat. Now we have science guiding us in what we should eat for our specific individual genetic make up to ensure better health. With the help of functional medicine doctors you can identify and prevent diseases before they become symptomatic.