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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Apr 29.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2011;2:97–123. doi: 10.1146/annurev.food.102308.124147

Table 2. Interactions between nonessential nutrients and genomic and postgenomic products.

Nutrient Target Outcome References
Isothiocyanates Glutathione S-transferase (GST) subtypes M, T, and P Deletions in GSTM1 and GSTT1 result in defective enzymatic activities and decreased carcinogen detoxification capacities; high isothiocyanate intake by GSTM1 and Tl carriers had decreased colorectal cancer risk (Seow et al. 2002)
Carotenoids Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) Alal6Val Reduced MnSOD activity and lower response to oxidative stress; dietary carotenoids increase risk of cancer for carriers (Mikhak et al. 2008)
Lipoic acid Gene expression for B cell receptor, T cell differentiation signaling pathway, and free radical scavengers Supplementation reduces high fat diet–induced chronic oxidative stress and immuno-suppression in mice jejunum (Cui et al. 2008)
Catechin Gene expression for adhesion molecules, energy and lipid metabolism, lipid trafficking Supplementation reduces atherosclerotic lesion development in apo E-deficient mice (Auclair et al. 2009)
Gene expression for mitochondrial activity Supplementation with regular exercise ameliorates age-associated decline in physical performance in mice (Murase et al. 2008)
Cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase (CYP7A1) A278C Larger increase in plasma HDL-C in carriers in response to a cholesterol-rich diet; elevated LDL-C is found in homozygous carriers (Hofman et al. 2004)
Fiber Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) rsl501299 Lower plasma ADIPOQ levels in carriers when fiber intake was low; associated with increased risk of childhood obesity (Ntalla et al. 2009)
Saturated fat (SFA) Scavenger receptor class B type I (SRB-I) gene, –1 G->A Higher plasma LDL-C in heterozygote carriers in response to an SFA-rich diet; carriers had greater reductions of plasma LDL-C after switching from a high SFA diet to high carbohydrate diet compared with noncarriers; possible increased risk for atherosclerosis when consuming a SFA-rich diet. (Perez-Martinez et al. 2005)
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), E2 and E4 alleles Larger increases in plasma LDL-C in response to SFA intake in E2 and E4 carriers; impact of SFA intake on incidence of myocardial infarction is more evident in the E2 and E4 allele carriers than noncarriers (Minihane 2010)
Sesame seed lignans Gene expression for hepatic genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and fatty acid transport Unknown (Puiggros et al. 2009)
Grape seed proanthocyanidins Gene expression for hepatic genes related to lipogenesis and lipoprotein secretion Normalized plasma triglycerides and LDL-C on a high fat diet (Quesada et al. 2009)
Choline Epigenetic modification Reduction in methylation influences on neurogenesis, including increased neural tube closure defects in infants of mothers with choline deficiency; maternal choline intake during early pregnancy is associated with increased hippocampal progenitor cell proliferation, decreased apoptosis, and enhanced visual-spatial and auditory memory in rodents' lifetimes; prevents memory loss during aging (Mehedint et al. 2010, Zeisel 2009)
Soy isoflavones Gene expression for cell adhesion, apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle, cell differentiation, DNA associated proteins, mRNA processing and splicing, transport, and inflammatory responses Protection against oxidative stress and cancer (Barve et al. 2008)