Saturday, April 10: 9:00 – 10:30am (Pacific Time) | Breakout Session #3
Genetic Testing for Personalized Nutrition: Do our genes determine what we should eat?
with Ahmed El-Sohemy, Ph.D.
Session Description
There is increasing awareness among researchers, educators, healthcare professionals and consumers that the one-size-fits-all, population-based approach to nutritional guidance is inefficient and sometimes ineffective. Numerous studies have now shown that variations in certain genes can explain why some individuals respond differently from others to the same foods, beverages and supplements they consume for health. Randomized controlled trials of genetic information on personalized nutrition also showed that giving DNA-based dietary advice is superior to population-based recommendations for improving compliance. A number of consumer genetic testing services for health and wellness are available, but their clinical utility and validity remains controversial. With increasing consumer demand, there is a need for nutrition professionals to have sufficient knowledge to understand the science behind these tests, determine their benefits and limitations and learn which ones provide clinically actionable information.
About Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy
Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy is a Full Professor at the University of Toronto and held a Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics. He earned his PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. The goal of his research is to understand how genetic differences modify response to diet for optimal health and performance. Dr. El-Sohemy has published over 175 peer-reviewed articles, given over 200 invited talks and received a number of awards for excellence in research by the Canadian Nutrition Society and the American College of Nutrition. He is the founder of Nutrigenomix Inc.
