Nutrigenomics and Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors such as obesity, insulin-resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardio vascular diseases (CVD). Rapid globalization, urbanization and industrialization have spawned epidemics of metabolic syndrome and it has become one of the major threats among adolescents and children. It is influenced by the interaction of genes, nutrition, environment, and lifestyle. The technological advances in life sciences have led to the realization that certain nutrients are not only essential, but also specific quantity of each nutrient is necessary for optimal health. Therefore, it is important to understand the biological impact of gene-nutrient-disease interactions, which will provide an insight into the pathogenesis and progression of metabolic syndrome. The present review is focused on the role of gene-nutrient interactions (Nature vs Nurture) towards the development of metabolic syndrome and associated co-morbidities and its epigenetic regulation.