Health and planet intertwined: Biologists shine light on axis linking personal health and ecosystems

18 Jul 2023 --- Scientists are unraveling the intricate and dynamic relationship between bioactives, nutrition and sustainability at the biological and ecosystem levels. The researchers stress the importance of nutrition for “human health maintenance,” while underscoring this variable cannot be separated from preserving planetary health.

While it is widely known that insufficient nutrient intake and excessive calorie consumption lead to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and other chronic diseases, the scientists argue that a wider perspective must be maintained.

To understand human nutritional health, they stress the need to understand the interconnections between nurture and nature and the interplay between the food system, the gut microbiome and the human host.

“Interdisciplinary collaboration in this field is needed for a new era of research and development of practical food-based solutions for some of the most pressing challenges humanity and our planet are facing today,” reads the study.

Foodomics
In their investigation, the researchers used AI, big data and omics research.

In essence, omics research embodies the study of the whole biological system. This can be done by analyzing the genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome or other “omes.”

The study says that using omics effectively can increase clarity on functional consequences for diets.The overall objective of the research was to study the interplay between compounds and the human body, its microbiome and nutritional compounds.

“These omic-enabled approaches offer novel opportunities to discover genes encoding bioactive proteins and peptides, or genes involved in the synthesis of phytonutrients,” the study reads.

Prebiotics are generally the target of genome mining approaches and are highlighted in the study for their use in the discovery and innovation in the field of bioactives, targeting the gut microbiome.

Furthermore, additional omics, such as proteomics, were used to identify and assess nutrition-relevant proteins’ role in diet and health through enzyme receptors and transports.

Metabolomics – the commonly used analysis in nutrition studies of metabolites such as bodily fluid, organ tissue and food matter – was used as it allows identification of differences between individuals’ bodily functions. 

The researchers say that using omics effectively can “increase clarity on functional consequences for diets and allow for optimization.” 

Human ecosystem
The human gut microbiome is widely studied for its impact on health, such as emotions regulation, obesity prediction and heart conditions. The new study further evidences the sustained scientific focus on the complex host of bacteria, fungi and viruses.

“Every mucosal surface in and on the human body is colonized and each body site within the same person has its own, distinct ecology. Likewise, an individual microbiome is unique and differs from other humans. While the human genome encodes only approximately 25,000 genes, human microbiomes are estimated to encompass two to 20 million genes, translating into up to 99.9% of the genetic capacity in the human body,” says the study.

It further details that the gastrointestinal tract is the most densely populated human organ, as it contains more than 70% of all microbes in the human body. 

Nutritional intake can change the gut microbiome directly, stress the researchers. Therefore “changes in our microbiomes are primed to revolutionize our comprehension of human nutrition, biology and health.”

Nutrients and regulators
The researchers classified natural nutrients analyzed in the paper into four categories – micronutrients, macronutrients, phytonutrients and gut microbiome regulators.

Micronutrients are the essential vitamins and minerals for maintaining a healthy body function and macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. 

“A well-balanced diet that contains diverse grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits, as well as high-quality protein-rich foods, delivers sufficient micronutrients to consumers. However, large parts of the global population do not have access to such a diet,” underscores the study.

The authors further detail that 800 million people suffer from insufficient calorie intake. Meanwhile, two billion people are also experiencing micronutrient deficiency – hidden hunger. Climate change pushes the planetary boundaries while challenging access to sustainable nutrition. 

This builds upon previous findings by a recent UK study, which found that two out of three women of reproductive age globally suffer from hidden hunger. 

Planetary ecosystem
The researchers stress the need to increase the supply to feed the world’s population with diets sufficient of micro and macronutrients and calories and to eliminate hidden hunger, which will also decrease health care costs, medical and pharmaceutical interventions. 

“Prevention is more sustainable than repair,” they note while stressing that the targets need to be “moving” to meet quick environmental changes as climate change impacts edible crops, causing issues for both the environment’s well-being and humans. 

Climate change pushes the planetary boundaries while challenging access to sustainable nutrition. 

The scientists argue that reducing consumption of beef, pork and dairy products is “a key sustainability priority” as production of these goods requires more resources. They also underscore overfishing and intensive aquafarming as parts of the problem that need a more sustainable solution.

The researchers argue that plant-based foods require less land and water consumption for production compared to meat alternatives and, therefore, “offer clear advantages.” 

“Plants, insects, macroalgae [seaweed], microalgae, microbial proteins and in-vitro meat [cultivated meat] are possible alternatives to animal-derived protein,” says the study.

By Beatrice Wihlander