Nutrigenomics 101

There are new fad diets every few months, but they don't work for every different body type. What if you could create a diet based on your own unique DNA?

That is the basis of nutrigenomics, which is the study of the effects of food and food constituents on gene expression, and how genetic variations affect the nutritional environment.

Yael Joffe Ph.D. is an expert in the field of nutrigenomics. she started as a dietitian and then went on to obtain her Ph.D. in Nutrigenomics from the University of Cape Town, exploring the genetics of obesity. She also founded an education company teaching nutrigenomics to clinicians around the world, and a series of genetic tests. Dr. Joffe was a part of the team that created the first nutrigenomic genetic test in 2000 as well.

Listen as she tells us what types of health insights can our genes actually tell us, what the science behind DNA-based dieting says, and what questions you should be asking before purchasing a nutrigenetic test.



Nutrigenomics 101
Featuring:
Yael Joffe Ph.D.
I have two children, two dogs, and three cats. The thing I love most of all, aside from Hannah (9) & Jack (5) is swimming, anywhere and anytime. Not so much in chlorinated overheated gym swimming pools, but much more in oceans, lakes, rivers, or any version thereof. I love swimming as much as I love talking about swimming, and half the reason I love traveling for work is that I get to swim in faraway places. It’s almost always true that people who swim outdoors, especially those that swim in cold water, are real, authentic, and always slightly mad. They are my tribe. And the cold ocean is where I go to get my head out of work, and the daily grind. My happy place.

My other happy place is my work in nutrition and genetics. If my bio is to be believed, I am an expert in the field of nutrigenomics. I started as a dietitian and then went on to obtain my Ph.D. in Nutrigenomics from the University of Cape Town, exploring the genetics of obesity. I speak at many conferences around the world about translating the science of nutrigenomics into clinical practice. That’s my thing, I’m a practitioner-scientist. I have co-authored three books, It’s not just your Genes, the SNP Journal, and Genes To Plate, and have published in peer-reviewed journals. But the best part of my work is seeing clinicians become experts in the nutrigenomic space, very clever and enlightened practitioners that make me super proud; and for this reason, I love teaching. I am currently an Adjunct Professor, teaching nutrigenomics at Rutgers University in the US, but to help close the nutrigenomic knowledge gap I also founded an education company teaching nutrigenomics to clinicians around the world. I have also built a number of nutrigenetic tests, but in January this year, I finally built the test I am most proud of. 3X4 Genetics (http://3x4genetics.io) offers not only what I believe will become the best practitioner test in the world, but a way to ensure that we utilize the value inherent in nutrigenetics in the most powerful and ethical way. This next decade promises to be the best ever.


Instagram: @yaeljoffe