Nutrients 2012, 4(12), 1898-1944; doi:10.3390/nu4121898
Review

Molecular Nutrition Research—The Modern Way Of Performing Nutritional Science

Frode Norheim 1 email, Ingrid M. F. Gjelstad 1 email, Marit Hjorth 1,† email, Kathrine J. Vinknes 1,† email, Torgrim M. Langleite 1 email, Torgeir Holen 1 email, Jørgen Jensen 2 email, Knut Tomas Dalen 1 email, Anette S. Karlsen 1 email, Anders Kielland 1 email, Arild C. Rustan 3 email and Christian A. Drevon 1,* email
1 Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway 2 Department of Physical Performance, Norwegian School of Sport Science, P.O. Box 4014, Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway 3 Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1068, Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway † These authors contributed equally to this work.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 6 September 2012; in revised form: 25 October 2012 / Accepted: 12 November 2012 / Published: 3 December 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics)
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Abstract: In spite of amazing progress in food supply and nutritional science, and a striking increase in life expectancy of approximately 2.5 months per year in many countries during the previous 150 years, modern nutritional research has a great potential of still contributing to improved health for future generations, granted that the revolutions in molecular and systems technologies are applied to nutritional questions. Descriptive and mechanistic studies using state of the art epidemiology, food intake registration, genomics with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, advanced biostatistics, imaging, calorimetry, cell biology, challenge tests (meals, exercise, etc.), and integration of all data by systems biology, will provide insight on a much higher level than today in a field we may name molecular nutrition research. To take advantage of all the new technologies scientists should develop international collaboration and gather data in large open access databases like the suggested Nutritional Phenotype database (dbNP). This collaboration will promote standardization of procedures (SOP), and provide a possibility to use collected data in future research projects. The ultimate goals of future nutritional research are to understand the detailed mechanisms of action for how nutrients/foods interact with the body and thereby enhance health and treat diet-related diseases.
Keywords: molecular nutrition; nutrigenomics; genomics; transcriptomics; proteomics; metabolomics; systems biology; adipokines; myokines

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Norheim, F.; Gjelstad, I.M.F.; Hjorth, M.; Vinknes, K.J.; Langleite, T.M.; Holen, T.; Jensen, J.; Dalen, K.T.; Karlsen, A.S.; Kielland, A.; Rustan, A.C.; Drevon, C.A. Molecular Nutrition Research—The Modern Way Of Performing Nutritional Science. Nutrients 2012, 4, 1898-1944.

AMA Style

Norheim F, Gjelstad IMF, Hjorth M, Vinknes KJ, Langleite TM, Holen T, Jensen J, Dalen KT, Karlsen AS, Kielland A, Rustan AC, Drevon CA. Molecular Nutrition Research—The Modern Way Of Performing Nutritional Science. Nutrients. 2012; 4(12):1898-1944.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Norheim, Frode; Gjelstad, Ingrid M.F.; Hjorth, Marit; Vinknes, Kathrine J.; Langleite, Torgrim M.; Holen, Torgeir; Jensen, Jørgen; Dalen, Knut T.; Karlsen, Anette S.; Kielland, Anders; Rustan, Arild C.; Drevon, Christian A. 2012. "Molecular Nutrition Research—The Modern Way Of Performing Nutritional Science." Nutrients 4, no. 12: 1898-1944.

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