Training with the NOVO Academy: learning nutrigenetics the right way

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 12 October 2026 · Reading time: 8 min

In short

Gene-based advice gets through: in a randomized trial, people understood it better and found it more useful than general advice – and your counseling turns it into concrete steps. For that, you need basic knowledge of genetics, a critical eye for studies and the ability to explain results clearly and without exaggeration. Novogenia’s NOVO Academy teaches you the science behind the analyses: free of charge, with about 5 hours of video per language, in seven languages and with a certificate for each completed topic. It is not mandatory for partners – but it is a good starting point that you build on with your own reading and practice.

Understanding genes, changing diets: what studies show about gene-based advice

What happens when people receive dietary advice based on their own genes? Researchers at the University of Toronto set out to answer exactly that – with an encouraging result.

In their randomized trial (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%. Only 9% of the gene-based group felt uneasy about learning their genetic information.

Does it stop at understanding? No. 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.

And whom do people trust on this topic? The group asked that, too (Nielsen, Shih and El-Sohemy, Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics 2014). Most participants named a university research lab (47%) or a health care professional (41%) as the best source of accurate personal genetic information. And they saw registered dietitians as the best providers of personalized nutrition advice.

For you, this means: gene-based advice resonates – and your clients see professionals like you as the right people to turn to. To live up to that trust, you need knowledge: a clear explanation, concrete steps and support over time.

Why genetics knowledge belongs in your counseling

Many nutrition training programs cover genetics only briefly. At the same time, clients come to you with questions about genetic tests or with results they found online. If you offer genetic analyses yourself, you make sure the results are interpreted correctly – neither exaggerated nor played down.

Research is working to make this knowledge usable in practice. In 2017, an international group of researchers led by Grimaldi proposed a framework for assessing the scientific validity of genotype-based dietary advice (Grimaldi et al., Genes & Nutrition 2017). At the same time, the group stresses how important more educational resources and guidance for practice are.

So training is not an extra. It is what makes a genetic analysis truly valuable in your counseling – and it strengthens your credibility.

Six areas of knowledge you need

Whichever lab you work with, these topics belong to the basics:

Area of knowledge	What it covers	What it gives you in counseling
Basic genetic terms	The gene as a blueprint, gene variant, gene copy (one from the mother, one from the father), genotype; why there are usually three possible combinations per variant	You read a report confidently and answer questions about it.
Well-established relationships	For example LCT and lactose, CYP1A2 and caffeine breakdown, MTHFR and folate metabolism	You know where genetic results translate directly into advice.
Judging evidence	Observational or intervention study, size of the effect, independent replication	You can tell how solid a claim is.
Genes and lifestyle	Most traits arise from many genes interacting with lifestyle – genes are not destiny	You show your clients where they can make a difference themselves.
Communication	Explaining results clearly, without fear and without promises of a cure	Your clients know what they can do with their result.
Law and advertising	Lifestyle vs. medical analyses, data protection, permitted marketing claims	You stay within your scope of practice and advertise compliantly.

The chapters of this guide cover all of these areas – from The key genes for nutrition counseling and Judging genetic tests to Advertising genetic tests. How to explain reports in conversation is shown in Explaining a genetic report clearly.

The NOVO Academy: the science behind the analyses

The NOVO Academy is Novogenia’s training program. In video lectures, Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia, explains the science behind the genetic analyses.

Feature	NOVO Academy
Cost	free of charge
Scope	about 5 hours of video per language
Format	video lectures, organized by topic
Proof of completion	a certificate for each completed topic
Mandatory?	no – optional for partners
Languages	German, English, Czech, French, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch

Topics include body weight and diet strategy, eating healthily according to your genes, athletic performance, stress, skin and personalized supplements – the areas in which Novogenia offers analyses. All lectures and the questions they answer are listed on the NOVO Academy page.

Your learning plan in five steps

Get the basics straight: read the chapters Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics and Genes are not destiny: how genes and lifestyle work together. That way, you know the science and how to put it in context.
Choose topics that match your focus: start the NOVO Academy with the topics closest to your counseling – for example weight and nutrition if you mainly support people losing weight, or athletic performance if you work with athletes.
Work through a report: go through a sample report section by section. For each result, write an explanation in plain words – including what the result does not mean.
Practice explaining: role-play the conversation with a colleague. Use a generic case, such as a client, 42, who tolerates coffee well but avoids dairy products.
Keep up to date: research keeps moving. Read original studies rather than second-hand summaries, and check new claims with the five questions in the next section.

Five questions to test any study

In nutrigenetics, many claims rest on a single study. These questions help you judge how much a source can carry:

What kind of study? An observational study shows an association. Only a randomized intervention study tests whether a gene-based recommendation actually makes a difference.
Who was studied? Results from one population cannot always be transferred to others.
How big is the effect? A statistically significant difference can be very small in everyday life.
Has anyone replicated the result independently? Novogenia, for example, only includes a gene in an analysis if at least three independent studies support the effect.
Are there conflicts of interest? You will usually find them at the end of a publication.

Making the knowledge stick in everyday practice

What you learn in lectures only becomes second nature through use. Three tools help you – and your team, if you work with others:

Your own glossary: decide how you explain technical terms such as “gene variant,” “genotype” or “predisposition.” If everyone in your practice uses the same words, your clients never hear contradictory explanations.
Ready-made sentences for the limits: decide in advance how you will say what a result does not mean. For example: “This result describes a predisposition. How it plays out for you also depends on diet, exercise, sleep and stress.” That keeps you factual even in a spontaneous conversation.
A list of common questions: note what clients ask after the report session, and add your answers. After a few sessions, you have your own collection – one that also helps new team members get up to speed quickly.

Also plan time to refresh your knowledge – especially when you add a new area of analysis to your offer. If you are working with athletes for the first time, learn the basics of performance genetics before you discuss the first report. The chapters Sports and performance nutrition and Weight management and genes give you an overview.

What a certificate does not replace

Training expands your knowledge – it does not change your legal scope. Professional titles and reserved activities are governed by national professional law. Medical analyses and pharmacogenetics remain reserved for physicians wherever the law requires it – however much you have studied genetics. What applies to you as a practitioner is explained in Who may offer genetic tests?

A NOVO Academy certificate shows that you have completed a topic. Describe it exactly that way in your communication, and don’t give the impression of a state-recognized qualification. How you can work with Novogenia as a partner is described in Nutrigenetics as a service: partner and white-label models.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the NOVO Academy cost?

Nothing. The NOVO Academy is free of charge. It consists of video lectures by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer on the science behind Novogenia’s genetic analyses – about 5 hours of video per language.

Do I have to complete the Academy to become a partner?

No. The NOVO Academy is not mandatory for partners. If you use genetic analyses in your counseling, though, you should be able to explain the results confidently – and the Academy is a good, free way to get there.

Which languages is the NOVO Academy available in?

Seven: German, English, Czech, French, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. You receive a certificate for each completed topic. Describe it accurately in your communication: a NOVO Academy certificate on the topic in question. It does not replace a state-recognized professional qualification or license.

Is the Academy enough to use nutrigenetics in counseling?

It is a good starting point for the scientific basics behind the analyses. Build on it with your own reading of studies, practice in explaining reports and knowledge of the law and advertising rules – the chapters of this guide will help you.

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 professionals

Note: 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.