A Guide to Applying the Sex-Gender Perspective to Nutritional Genomics

Abstract

Precision nutrition aims to make dietary recommendations of a more personalized nature possible, to optimize the prevention or delay of a disease and to improve health. Therefore, the characteristics (including sex) of an individual have to be taken into account as well as a series of omics markers. The results of nutritional genomics studies are crucial to generate the evidence needed so that precision nutrition can be applied. Although sex is one of the fundamental variables for making recommendations, at present, the nutritional genomics studies undertaken have not analyzed, systematically and with a gender perspective, the heterogeneity/homogeneity in gene-diet interactions on the different phenotypes studied, thus there is little information available on this issue and needs to be improved. Here we argue for the need to incorporate the gender perspective in nutritional genomics studies, present the general context, analyze the differences between sex and gender, as well as the limitations to measuring them and to detecting specific sex-gene or sex-phenotype associations, both at the specific gene level or in genome-wide-association studies. We analyzed the main sex-specific gene-diet interactions published to date and their main limitations and present guidelines with recommendations to be followed when undertaking new nutritional genomics studies incorporating the gender perspective.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Serum Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Exploratory Analysis of the Sex-Specific Effects and Dietary Modulation in Mediterranean Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome

“…It has been reported that PUFA concentrations are higher in females than in males during pregnancy and there are some studies showing sex-specific effects for some PUFA in determining several outcomes [68][69][70][71][72][73][74]140,141]. Although this is still an emerging field, the promotion of research investigating sex-specific differences [142] could provide more information regarding sex-specific effects on gene*sex interactions in determining PUFA levels for a more personalized nutrition. Our genome-wide gene*sex interaction study, has revealed a statistically significant gene*sex interaction involving the DNTTIP2 gene (rs3747965) in determining serum total PUFA (mainly omega-6 PUFA), at the genome-wide level of significance (p < 5 × 10 −8 ).…”

Can Meat and Meat-Products Induce Oxidative Stress?

“…Although growing evidence exists, most obtained data come from in vitro studies being urgent to perform in vivo studies in animals and human. Individual response to therapeutic diets is striking which appears to have a genetic component [ 16 ]; thus, genetic factors (presence of risk allele) affecting dietary response to antioxidant ingredients of functional meat should be investigated in order to get more targeted and potentially efficient functional meats for the prevention or amelioration of oxidation and their deleterious consequences [ 111 ]. Therefore, the presence of alleles negatively contributing to a lower antioxidant activity of GR, GPx, NO syntase, parooxonase (PON-1) or to a higher prooxidant activity induced by cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and different isoforms of cytochrome P450 in some individuals should be investigated by meaning of GWAS and EPIWAS trying to get a GRS (Gene-risk score) that advances the understanding of the reality of nutrigenetics on functional foods addressed to improve antioxidant status [ 112 ].…”

Gender medicine: Lessons from COVID-19 and other medical conditions for designing health policy

“…Yet, almost simultaneously the premise of personalized medicine[ 10 ] or precision medicine[ 11 , 12 ] has emerged and became more popular, driven by novel and low-cost genetic technologies, rapid advances in computational power, massive, linked databases, and new targeted therapies, in concordance with the rising perception of individualism and patient autonomy. The gender approach in medicine has not been neglected in basic research and applied medicine, but rather it has been (or may be) incorporated into precision medicine approaches[ 13 - 16 ] and translational medicine[ 17 ], or into epidemiological and pathophysiological data as well as into information on treatment options and clinical outcomes[ 18 ]. All these, in turn, may not only shed light on the basis and origin of clinical conditions, but may also shape and dictate actionable guidelines for diagnosis and detection, monitoring, treatment and intervention programs, drug development and administration, and facilitate the design of preventive strategies and health policy, which are all specific to subpopulations with regard to gender (and other factors such as age, risk factors etc .…”