Effective personalized nutrition advice is both biological and psychological, note industry experts

08 May 2019 --- Personalized nutrition approaches are gaining traction as the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach to health becomes increasingly outdated. Science alone is uncovering the plethora of individual differences which necessitate individualized approaches to health and diet for general wellness, but also to tackle chronic diseases such as diabetes. The market for personalized nutrition is ripe for growth, a fact evidenced by the large amount of consolidation taking place. As this continues, key areas will include the role of the microbiome, the potential use of nutrition targeted technology and offering psychological insights as well as biological when giving personalized advice.

“Consumers across the world are becoming more aware of the personalized nutrition trend. However, it is still evident that there is more to do to increase understanding of what it means for human health,” Catia Pimenta-de-Sousa, Head of Personalized Nutrition EMEA, DSM, tells NutritionInsight.

A 2018 consumer study conducted by DSM found that only seven percent of people in Europe are confident about what the term “personalized nutrition” means. In the UK, 55 percent of respondents had never heard of personalized nutrition and levels of experience of the approach are low across Europe. Despite the need for further education, Pimenta-de-Sousa explains that the desire to learn more about personalized nutrition is high, with 58 percent of people stating they would be interested in finding out more. 58 percent of people stating they would be interested in finding out more about personalized nutrition, finds a DSM survey.

Rising consumer interest is spurring high volumes of start-up activity. Within the space, direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing (GT) is becoming increasingly popular, with a host of companies such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe, marketing genetic “insights” into ancestry and physical attributes. This consumer hype has been reflected by a 23andMe website announcement in 2017 that it had genotyped more than two million customers. Canada-based Nutrigenomix also recently developed the first genetic test kit to be used exclusively by healthcare professionals. 

Opportunities for consumers to learn how to tailor their own diets is also growing. Oakland-based Habit, for example, develops nutritional recommendations based on a person’s biology, metabolism and personal goals. Start-ups tapping into the microbiome are also making waves, such as Finnish company GutGuide, which seeks to offer patient-specific treatment and supplementation to a variety of afflictions connected to the gut, based on the company’s research into oral and gut microbiota. 

Meanwhile, US start-up Day Two provides stool analysis services to inform consumers about their average blood sugar levels through DNA analysis of the gut microbiome. These results are used to produce diet plans that aid a healthier lifestyle with normal blood sugar levels.

A technological boom
The somewhat “modern” idea of personalized nutrition seems to be the opposite to outdated notions such as a one-size-fits-all approach.

This is evidenced by the technologies the companies operating in the space utilize, as well as the mounting importance of health data. DNA sequencing from stool, saliva and blood, smartphone apps and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly commonplace, as well as 3D printing and wearable technologies.

Nard Clabbers, Senior Business Developer Personalized Nutrition at TNO, tells NutritionInsight about a recent shift by personalized nutrition companies, in as much as “every health and wellness company wants to become a health data company as well.”A host of technologies are becoming commonplace in personalized nutrition.

TNO, the Netherlands Organization for applied scientific research, describes this trend as “hybrid models,” meaning: “you start with a knowledge-based personalized nutrition approach and build some kind of machine learning tool upon the learnings of this advice to further enrich your data.”

Despite an abundance of data that can inform individuals about their health, the knowledge-based approach should still be backed up by sound science.

However, Naveen Jain, Founder of Viome, notes that one of the most substantial hurdles in this space is underpinning it with secure science. “Nutrition is terribly weak as a science (certainly in relation to the other sciences), mainly relying on observational studies. Proper studies would be too costly.” 

“However, the potential for smartphones to vastly reduce the cost of such studies is now becoming a real possibility, so proper science is likely to emerge in the not-too-distant future.Since nutrition itself is relatively lacking a scientific underpinning, personalized nutrition is even more wanting,” Jain adds.

This lack of scientific backing can be particularly prominent in the microbiome area, Clabbers says. “With the current state of science, it is tough to give science-based personalized advice on the microbiome. One of the threats of personalized nutrition is overpromising because that can lead to unsatisfied consumers that feel cheated. That risk is very true in the microbiome world.”

The mental aspect of nutrition
Clabbers further notes that the industry must not wholly focus on technology, as the psychological and social aspects of behavioral change are at least equally, if not more important, to personalized nutrition. 

“Some companies think that they are finished when they have a good algorithm for personalized advice and suitable parameters of health to base their advice on. However, what we see is that just giving advice is often not enough for consumers to change their behavior,” he explains.You need to know the consumer from a biological standpoint, but also from a psychological perspective, notes an industry expert.

In this way, the advice must be compelling enough so that people are empowered to change their behavior. “The ‘right’ information also needs to be at the right time. Friday evening is different for many people compared to a Tuesday morning, for example. Also, it needs to be aligned with the motivation and possibilities of the consumer, taking into account social life for instance. No one with a family is going to make four different meals every day, for example. The tone of voice is something that we see can make a big difference,” Clabbers explains.

Essentially, you need to know the consumer from a biological standpoint, but also from a psychological perspective for competent personalized advice.

One way to increase the rounded nature of effective personalized nutrition approaches, as well as boost their scientific backing, is through public-private partnerships and consolidation, Jo Goossens of ShiftN, tells NutritionInsight.

Disruptive start-ups and consolidation in personalization
Growing consumer interest and scientific backing have paved the way for an arena ready for NPD, investment and start-up activity and a host of companies and start-ups have not let the opportunity pass them by.

Disruptive start-ups are strongly represented in this space, Pimenta-de-Sousa notes, particularly because an entrepreneurial mindset means that ideas generally come to fruition much quicker than they do in large corporations. However, investment and wider business support are often required to make innovations a commercial reality, with the potential to improve the lives of populations worldwide, she notes. In this way, there has been some consolidation happening in the category.

This is where challenges can present themselves for companies or start-ups working in personalized nutrition. In this way, DSM’s investment arm, DSM Venturing, has sought to collaborate with groups that “hold the potential to revolutionize industries.”

The notion of “venturing” is pivotal to a company such as DSM. Last year, the Dutch multinational announced that it has set aside around €3 billion (US$3.4 billion) to expand its nutrition business, as it moves further away from its heritage chemical positioning.  

Last year, DSM and digital health company Mixfit also entered into a strategic partnership to deliver personalized nutrition solutions, aiming to provide individuals with the right blend of nutrients based on a set of health and activity measurements. 

Projects in the pipeline include MixFit’s Intelligent Nutrition Assistant (Mina), which combines its cutting-edge technology and DSM’s expertise in micronutrients to take personalized nutrition to “the next level,” says Pimenta-de-Sousa.

“The system analyzes a person’s diet, lifestyle, health goals, and genetic makeup, and is designed to create and dispense beverages containing a customized mix of DSM’s Quali Blends with vitamins and minerals. Looking ahead, the investment, which sees us hold approximately 50 percent of shares, will allow DSM to become a leader in utilizing technologies, such as AI and blockchain, to advise consumers on their health status,” she adds.

This year, DSM and Panaceutics also collaborated to bring “cost-effective” personalized nutrition to consumers. Panaceutics uses patented technologies to combine digital data on daily habits, genomics and biomarkers. This then drives its on-demand robotic manufacturing platform to make an individual’s blended formula, delivered in a ready-to-consume, shelf-stable packaged product.    

Also in the space, Nestlé and Irish biotech company Nuritas entered into a collaboration to uncover bioactive peptide networks within “specific target areas of significant value.” As part of the collaboration, Nuritas deploys its novel technology platform, which uses AI and DNA analysis to predict, unlock and validate highly efficacious peptides, exclusively from natural food sources. While last November, a BASF-Nuritas collaboration yielded a novel sports nutrition ingredient, PeptAIde. More partnerships are to be expected from Nuritas in 2019, Neil Foster, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Nuritas, tells NutritionInsight.  

Meanwhile, the science behind the aforementioned start-up, Habit, was based on research conducted by TNO. Also, following Habits initial US$32 million investment from Campbell Soup, it was acquired by Viome, which makes personalized food recommendations based on the microbiome. Viome reports it will combine its insights from the microbiome with Habit’s nutrition plans and consumer data and engagement tools to offer the first “whole-body” approach to human health. The combination of two innovative, smaller start-ups has created a total solutions player in this case.

What’s next?
There is a flurry of activity taking place among personalized nutrition companies and the arena is increasingly inviting to new players as research further highlights the efficacy of personalized approaches for health. A new Cornell University study, for example, found that a person’s genetic makeup could alter their gut bacteria, which in turn impacts how they digest food. 

Meanwhile, investments in the space are also growing. Bio-Me, a start-up specializing in rapid gut microbiome analysis, has entered into an agreement with an unnamed “top” consumer healthcare company associated with the large-scale Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). Also, Carbiotix, a therapeutics company leveraging low-cost gut health testing and microbiome modulators to unlock the health-boosting potential of the gut microbiome, closed its latest funding round in April, bringing the total funds raised to €1 million (US$1.2 million) over four years.

Personalized nutrition promises to be an interesting space to watch in the coming years with significant opportunities for growth. 

By Laxmi Haigh