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Nutrigenetics for nutritionists: a practical guide to nutrigenetic testing
The same cup of coffee does not affect everyone the same way – and part of the reason lies in our genes. Nutrigenetics studies how inherited genetic differences shape the way the body processes foods and nutrients. In counseling, a genetic analysis gives you information that never changes and that no food diary can reveal – for example, on lactose, caffeine or folate. It does not replace a case history or blood values: genes are one factor among many, not destiny. This guide shows you what research supports, how to build nutrigenetics into your practice, what the law says and which partner models exist.
One cup of coffee, two bodies: what nutrigenetics is about
Two clients drink the same cup of coffee in the morning. For one, the caffeine is broken down quickly. For the other, it lingers much longer. One important reason lies in a single gene: CYP1A2. It is the blueprint for the tool your body uses to break down caffeine. If that tool works more slowly, caffeine stays in the body longer.
That is exactly what nutrigenetics is about: it studies how inherited genetic differences shape the way the body processes foods and nutrients. Nutrigenomics looks the other way – at how what we eat changes the activity of our genes. For your counseling, nutrigenetics is what matters most.
I am a molecular biologist and the founder of Novogenia. Since 2009, we have been analyzing genes in our own lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria – by now from more than 30 million people. With this guide, I want to show you what really holds up in counseling and how to use it well. Because one thing matters to me: genes are not destiny. They show you where it pays to take a closer look.
What a genetic analysis brings to your practice
Some relationships are well established and translate directly into advice:
- LCT and lactose: variants in the region of this gene help decide whether the tool that splits milk sugar – the enzyme lactase – stays active in adulthood.
- CYP1A2 and caffeine: variants influence how quickly the body breaks down caffeine.
- MTHFR and folate: this gene helps convert folate into its active form. Variants affect folate metabolism.
Which genes really matter for counseling, and how well each is supported, is covered in The key genes for nutrition counseling.
For your practice, a genetic analysis brings four things in particular:
- Data that lasts: genes do not change over a lifetime. One analysis is enough – its results hold for every future appointment.
- A personal way in: the report gives the conversation a concrete starting point. You talk about habits, goals and priorities – starting from the individual, not the average.
- Structure for recommendations: results on lactose, caffeine, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates help you weight general guidelines.
- An additional service: genetic analyses and personalized supplements based on them can extend your counseling. The chapter on partner models shows what that can look like.
Here is how a genetic analysis fits in with the tools you already use:
| Source of information | What it shows you | Does it change? |
|---|---|---|
| Case history and food diary | Habits, preferences, complaints, goals | yes |
| Body measurements | Weight, circumferences, body composition | yes |
| Blood values | Current nutrient status, metabolic situation | yes |
| Genetic analysis | Inherited predispositions, e.g. in processing lactose, caffeine or folate | no – genes stay the same for life |
The table also shows the order of priority: a genetic analysis complements your classic tools. It does not replace any of them. Where you have current measurements, such as blood values, they describe the present state better than any predisposition.
Who this guide is written for
This guide is for professionals who want to bring genetic analyses into their work – or whose clients already arrive with a genetic test in hand:
- Nutritionists and nutrition scientists in private practice.
- Dietitians who want to understand what nutrigenetic testing can add to dietary counseling.
- Nutrition and health coaches, as well as trainers who combine nutrition and exercise.
- Naturopaths, therapists and other practitioners with a focus on nutrition and lifestyle.
- Other health professionals, for example in pharmacies, physiotherapy or corporate wellness programs.
Interested consumers will find honest answers here too – for example, on what a genetic test can reveal about their own diet.
This guide deliberately stays within nutrition and lifestyle. Medically relevant analyses and pharmacogenetics belong in medical hands wherever national law requires it. What this means for you is explained in Who may offer genetic tests?
What nutrigenetics can do in your counseling
The genetic traits determined by a good analysis are well documented – at Novogenia, every gene included in an analysis is backed by at least three independent studies. From these results, you derive logical conclusions for your counseling. Here is what that looks like in practice:
| What the genetic analysis shows | What you do with it in counseling |
|---|---|
| How well the body splits milk sugar (LCT) | Plan dairy products to fit, or choose low-lactose alternatives |
| How quickly the body breaks down caffeine (CYP1A2) | Adjust the amount and timing of coffee; decaf as an alternative |
| How folate metabolism works (MTHFR) | Build in folate-rich foods such as leafy greens |
| How the body uses fats and carbohydrates | Set priorities for how meals are put together |
| Predispositions for hunger and satiety | Discuss meal rhythm and strategies for feeling full |
| All results combined with body data, a questionnaire and blood values | Have a personalized nutrient formula calculated |
And research shows that gene-based advice gets through to people.
In a randomized trial from Toronto (Nielsen and El-Sohemy, Genes & Nutrition 2012), 149 young adults received either gene-based or general dietary advice. 93% of the gene-based group said they understood the advice they were given – compared with 78% in the control group. 88% found it useful for their diet, compared with 72%.
Behavior can change, too. In another study by the same research group (Nielsen and El-Sohemy, PLoS One 2014), participants with a particular variant in the ACE gene were advised to eat less salt. After twelve months, they had cut their sodium intake more than the control group, which received general advice.
In the European Food4Me project (Celis-Morales et al., International Journal of Epidemiology 2017), personalized advice improved diets more than conventional advice: participants ate less red meat, less salt and less saturated fat, and took in more folate. Genetic data did not add a further measurable effect there – the biggest lever was tailoring the advice to the person in the first place. A genetic analysis is one building block that helps you do exactly that.
Good to know: a lifestyle analysis is not a diagnosis. It does not detect diseases, and it does not replace blood values or a case history. Genes always work together with diet, exercise, sleep and stress – and that is exactly where the opportunity lies: lifestyle is something you can shape together with your clients. Read more in Genes are not destiny: how genes and lifestyle work together and Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics: what research shows.
From saliva sample to report: how it works with Novogenia
Novogenia is both a genetic laboratory and a supplement manufacturer. We analyze every sample in our own lab in Austria, and we sell exclusively through partners. For your clients, the path looks like this:
- Choose an analysis: there are analyses on nutrition and weight, sports and performance, stress and skin. Each report bundles several genetic analyses around one part of everyday life.
- Provide a saliva sample: at home or in your practice, using a saliva collection kit. For lifestyle use, the kit is available as a non-medical device; on request, it can carry your brand.
- Lab analysis: we analyze the sample in our own lab. The analysis takes 4 days.
- Receive the report: digitally via a secure portal, printed on request, in up to 18 languages. Colors show at a glance which predisposition the person has for each gene.
- Counsel: you discuss the report with your client. Whether you see your clients’ reports is your decision.
- Optional next step: a personalized supplement in daily sachets. One delivery lasts 90 days and can be reordered.
There are three models for working together: your own partner shop, where your clients order and you earn a commission on every order; white label under your own brand; or your own product, developed and manufactured for you by Novogenia. The differences are explained in Nutrigenetics as a service: partner and white-label models. How to build the expertise you need is covered in Training with the NOVO Academy.
All chapters at a glance
All 14 articles are also listed by chapter at the end of this page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics?
Can nutritionists offer nutrigenetic testing?
Does a genetic test help in choosing the right nutrition strategy?
How does a genetic analysis with Novogenia work?
Does a genetic analysis replace blood tests or a food diary?
Related: Nutrition and lifestyle analyses · Become a partner · Science at Novogenia
Want to offer nutrigenetics in your practice?
Tell us about your practice and your clients – we will show you which partner model fits.
Become a partner →Offer for nutrition professionalsNote: This guide is general information for professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations on nutrition, micronutrients and lifestyle derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.