The Genetic Tango: Genes in Your Body, Genes in Your Food

This review article highlights a range of new research from the realm of genomics that crosses traditional disciplines to address the genetic relationships of food and health. Research examples include the interactions of food and diet to obesity, heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and other risk?related symptoms. Interdisciplinary researchfrom agriculture, medicine, nutrition, public health, behavioral sciences, food safety, public policy, and other disciplines must combine to better address the devastation to families and to the U.S. healthcare budget from diet?related chronic diseases. Food is a choice, thus the chemicals in these foods is secondary to that choice. There are numerous types or varieties of soy, corn, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, etc. Not all are commercial success; but may provide healthful benefits. What if foods were financially valued on the basis of their health ingredient potential rather than their yield in the field (bushels per acre) potential? Clearly the genes that control yield may not be the same genes that control for production of beneficial food chemicals or ingredients, or their amounts? We should know how to choose those foods thatcontain beneficial agents for our health and our children’s health.Genes in your food as a phrase is used throughout this article as a euphemism for meaning ultimately the ‘chemicals in your food’ .