Editorial: Genome-based nutrition strategies for preventing diet-related chronic diseases: where genes, diet, and food culture meet

Weight gain is often the initial trigger for metabolic abnormalities and chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease, and many malignancies worldwide. These emerging diseases have spread across the global population, causing significant morbidity and mortality (1, 2). In the past, it was common to attribute the etiology of these disorders to “genetics” or label them as “multifactorial” when a definitive explanation was lacking. However, since the first human genome blueprint was released nearly 25 years ago, it has been a pivotal moment, signaling the transition from the pre-genomic to the genomic and post-genomic era1 (3). This transition has led us to the development of the multi-omic sciences, an interdisciplinary field that provides a comprehensive and holistic understanding of gene structure, gene expression mechanisms, and how environmental interactions affect them (4–6). It is now clear that attributing most prevalent chronic diseases solely to genetics or the environment is no longer accurate (7). The interaction of these factors plays a significant role in maintaining our health or leading to disease, and they can be identified more precisely (8).

Almost 20 years ago, we recognized physical activity, emotions, and diet as the key lifestyle factors influencing our genes (9, 10). However, we also acknowledged the genetic heterogeneity that any region or population would exhibit due to local adaptation.

Thus, regional studies are critical, focusing on the prevalence of such adaptive genes and assessing the influence of lifestyle changes at the population level (11, 12). Despite global modifications in lifestyle conditions, the human genome remains tailored to past environments. This leads to a key concept in the era of personalized medicine and nutrition- the gene-environmental mismatch (13). This mismatch underlines the importance of tailoring preventive strategies depending on the target population's genetic composition and environmental context rather than relying on general health guidelines to regain health.