Genetic predispositions and nutritional strategies: a review of nutrigenomics in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that manifests motor and non-motor symptoms due to the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. While its pathogenesis is multifactorial, with genetic as well as environmental components, more and more evidence suggests that nutrition and diet play an important role in regulating both the development and progression of the disease through crosstalk with genetics, a term known as nutrigenomics. This review discusses genetics and nutrition in PD, emphasizing putative mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation. This review focuses on the recent updates in the field of nutrigenomics, emphasizing how individual food components like antioxidants, polyphenols, and fatty acids affect gene expression and neuronal resilience. We also consider genetic variants that can affect individuals’ responses to dietary interventions, thus altering disease risks and progression. Finally, we summarize the clinical implications of personalized nutrition as a therapeutic target in the management of PD with a focus on translation and future efforts to incorporate nutrigenomics into the clinical domain of practice. This review helps to integrate genetics, nutrition, and neurodegeneration to provide clues for new preventive and therapeutic strategies in PD.