Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

For Better Eating

While most people could stand to eat more healthfully, Bloomberg reports that David Leung was inspired to make changes to his diet following a genetic test that showed he was at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Because of its findings, he tells Bloomberg that he's been eating less rice and more fish.

These days, Bloomberg says people are interested in genetic testing not to learn if they have a risk of cancer, but to see what exercise routine or diet might be best for them. It notes that companies like FitnessGenes, DNAFit, Orig3n, and Nutrigenomix are offering genetic tests to gauge consumers' endurance capabilities, muscle mass, or metabolism. Bloomberg notes that this market is expected to grow from $70.2 million in 2015 to $340 million in 2022.

Researchers warn, though, that interpreting genetic tests and predicting someone's risk is still in its infancy. "It is important to recognize that while the allure of genetics and the weight of scientific authority that comes with it is promising, results still need to be made sense of in light of each person's life," Jacqueline Savard, a postdoc in health ethics at the University of Sydney, tells Bloomberg. "The 'answers' received are rarely final, but instead form part of an evolving story."

Filed under

The Scan

Machine Learning Helps ID Molecular Mechanisms of Pancreatic Islet Beta Cell Subtypes in Type 2 Diabetes

The approach helps overcome limitations of previous studies that had investigated the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic islet beta cells, the authors write in their Nature Genetics paper.

Culture-Based Methods, Shotgun Sequencing Reveal Transmission of Bifidobacterium Strains From Mothers to Infants

In a Nature Communications study, culture-based approaches along with shotgun sequencing give a better picture of the microbial strains transmitted from mothers to infants.

Microbial Communities Can Help Trees Adapt to Changing Climates

Tree seedlings that were inoculated with microbes from dry, warm, or cold sites could better survive drought, heat, and cold stress, according to a study in Science.

A Combination of Genetics and Environment Causes Cleft Lip

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers investigate what combination of genetic and environmental factors come into play to cause cleft lip/palate.