Nutrigenomics and Food Safety in Chronic Disease Prevention: From Bioactive Nutrients to Contaminants

Azhdari, Maryam; Talepour Ardakani, Hossein

doi:10.18502/ijdo.v17i4.20043

Volume 17, Issue 4 (10-2025) IJDO 2025, 17(4): 283-290 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.18502/ijdo.v17i4.20043

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Azhdari M, Talepour Ardakani H. Nutrigenomics and Food Safety in Chronic Disease Prevention: From Bioactive Nutrients to Contaminants. IJDO 2025; 17 (4) :283-290
URL: http://ijdo.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-996-en.html

Nutrigenomics and Food Safety in Chronic Disease Prevention: From Bioactive Nutrients to Contaminants

Maryam Azhdari ^*

, Hossein Talepour Ardakani

Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract: (137 Views)

Nutrigenomics explore how foods and bioactive compounds interact with our genes and epigenome to influence overall health, while food safety examines how dietary hazards can disrupt these pathways. Integrating both fields aids in the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Nutrients such as polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and methyl donors can modulate key epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA regulation, helping protect against metabolic disorders and some types of cancer. Conversely, exposure to harmful substances, including mycotoxins, heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and food processing by-products, can trigger oxidative stress, disturb the gut microbiome, and alter epigenetic regulation, increasing disease risk.
This narrative, non-systematic review synthesizes evidence published between 2000 and 2025, emphasizing the surge in studies since 2020. Relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using combinations of keywords related to nutrigenomics, epigenetics, food safety, and chronic diseases. In total, 235 publications were analyzed, highlighting nutrigenomics and food safety as an emerging scientific hotspot.
Recent advances in multi-omics and microbiome research have enabled precision nutrition approaches and more accurate risk assessment models for NCDs. Despite challenges such as inconsistent methodologies and limited longitudinal data, integrating nutrigenomics with food safety offers a promising approach for improving metabolic health, achieving sustainable weight management, and reducing the global burden of chronic disease. Priorities include large-scale clinical trials, standardized omics pipelines, and validated biomarkers to ensure accessibility to and translational impact in public health.

Keywords: Nutrigenomics, Food safety, Epigenetic, Genetic, Bioactive, Chronic disease

Full-Text [PDF 768 kb] (117 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/09/9 | Accepted: 2025/10/20 | Published: 2025/10/30

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