Council for Responsible Nutrition science in session. Optimizing health with nutrition - opportunities, gaps and the future

Authors: HO, EMILY - Oregon State University; DRAKE, VICTORIA - Oregon State University; MICHELS, ALEXANDER - Oregon State University; NKRUMAH-ELIE, YASMEEN - Chromadex; BROWN, LAVERNE - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); SCOTT, JONATHAN - Uniformed Services University; Newman, John; Shukitt-Hale, Barbara; SOUMYANATH, AMALA - Oregon Health & Science University; CHILTON, FLOYD - University Of Arizona; LINDEMANN, STEPHEN - Purdue University; SHAO, ANDREW - Chromadex; HAZELS-MITMESSER, SUSAN - Pharmavite, Llc; MITMESSER, SUSAN HAZELS - Pharmavite, Llc

Submitted to: Advances in Nutrition
Publication Type: Literature Review
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2023
Publication Date: 6/1/2023
Citation: Ho, E., Drake, V.J., Michels, A., Nkrumah-Elie, Y.M., Brown, L.L., Scott, J.M., Newman, J.W., Shukitt Hale, B., Soumyanath, A., Chilton, F.H., Lindemann, S.R., Shao, A., Hazels-Mitmesser, S., Mitmesser, S. 2023. Council for Responsible Nutrition science in session. Optimizing health with nutrition - opportunities, gaps and the future. Advances in Nutrition. 14:948-958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.015.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.015

Interpretive Summary: Achieving optimal health is an aspirational goal for the population, yet the definition of optimal health remains unclear. The role of nutrition in human health has evolved beyond correcting malnutrition and specific deficiencies, and has begun to focus more on achieving and maintaining ‘optimal’ health through nutrition. As such, the Council for Responsible Nutrition held its October 2022 Science in Session conference to advance this concept. Here, we summarize and discuss the findings of their Optimizing Health through Nutrition – Opportunities and Challenges' workshop, including several gaps that need to be addressed to advance progress in the field. This review proposes a framework centered around resilience and determinants of individualized responses for evaluating optimal health and nutrition outcomes, while also highlighting the gaps and opportunities in this emerging space.

Technical Abstract: Achieving optimal health is an aspirational goal for the population, yet the definition of optimal health remains unclear. The role of nutrition in human health has evolved beyond correcting malnutrition and specific deficiencies, and has begun to focus more on achieving and maintaining ‘optimal’ health through nutrition. As such, the Council for Responsible Nutrition held its October 2022 Science in Session conference to advance this concept. Here, we summarize and discuss the findings of their Optimizing Health through Nutrition – Opportunities and Challenges' workshop, including several gaps that need to be addressed to advance progress in the field. Defining and evaluating various indices of optimal health will require overcoming these key gaps. For example, there is a strong need to develop better biomarkers of nutrient status, including more accurate markers of food intake, as well biomarkers of optimal health that account for maintaining resilience – the ability to recover from or respond to stressors without loss to physical and cognitive performance. In addition, there is a need to identify factors that drive individualized responses to nutrition, including genotype, metabotypes and the gut microbiome, and to realize the opportunity of precision nutrition for optimal health. This review outlines hallmarks of resilience, current examples of nutritional factors to optimize cognitive and performance resilience, and overview of various genetic, metabolic and microbiome determinants of individualized responses. Statement of Significance: There is a critical need to help find solutions to optimize our health across the lifespan to support healthspan. However, there is need to advance concepts beyond the prevention of nutrient deficiencies and consider meeting the nutritional needs for optimal health. This review proposes a framework centered around resilience and determinants of individualized responses for evaluating optimal health and nutrition outcomes, while also highlighting the gaps and opportunities in this emerging space.