Personalized nutrition: Could genetic tests improve your health and your figure | DW Documentary

Carbohydrates, fats, proteins. Each person is different, and every body utilizes food in a different way. That’s why a personalized diet can help you lose weight, and give you more energy. Now, scientists around the world are working on a precision formula tailored to the individual. Can DNA tests and analyses of the microbiome determine the ideal diet for each person’s health? Many people know that elevated blood sugar levels can lead to obesity and trigger type 2 diabetes mellitus. “Far less well known is that, for each person, different foods drive up blood sugar levels,“ says Prof. Christian Sina, director of the Institute of Nutritional Medicine at the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein. “It makes no sense to divide foods into ’healthy’ and ’unhealthy’ across the board. Rather, people should be divided into different categories, in order to find out what each individual personally tolerates best.“ This research has its foundation in Israel. At the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Professor Eran Elinav developed an algorithm that uses stool sample analyses to create individualized dietary recommendations. The algorithm is now part of a nutrition app used by more than 70,000 people. DNA analyses to create personalized diet plans have been available in Germany for several years, but consumer advocates and scientists have criticized the approach, saying it lacks evidence.