9th May 2024 – by Aaruthy Suthahar
In a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine, researchers from ZOE, who are running the largest in-depth nutrition study in the world, examined the impact of personalised dietary advice versus general recommendations on cardiometabolic health. This study, involving 347 participants aged 41 to 70 years, sheds light on the effectiveness of tailored dietary programmes.
Participants were randomly assigned to either receive personalised dietary guidance by ZOE or standard care advice based on the US Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Americans. The personalised dietary programme utilised various factors including food characteristics, individual responses to food, microbiomes, and health history to create personalised food scores over an 18-week period.
Results showed a significant reduction in triglyceride levels, which are types of fat in the blood, among participants following the personalised dietary programme compared to those receiving standard advice. However, there were no significant changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Additionally, improvements were noted in other measures such as body weight, waist circumference, HbA1c levels (which is a measure of blood sugar over time), diet quality, and the variety of gut bacteria, particularly among participants who closely followed the personalised programme.
It is noteworthy that participants following the ZOE programme reported feeling better, with improvements in mood, reduced hunger, better sleep, and increased energy compared to the control group. Those who closely adhered to the ZOE advice also experienced greater improvements in weight and increases in diet quality, associated with lower risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Overall, the study shows the potential benefits of personalised dietary advice in improving cardiometabolic health outcomes, providing valuable insights for individuals seeking effective dietary interventions. TwinsUK members were instrumental in enabling ZOE to develop their personalised dietary programme through the original research study on personalised diets, PREDICT.
