Precision Nutrition Redefined: Integrative Molecular Frameworks for Personalized Dietary Interventions

Personalized nutrition represents a transformative paradigm in dietary science, aligning nutritional strategies with individual biological variability to optimize health outcomes and reduce chronic disease risk. This review explores the biochemical, molecular, and technological foundations of personalized nutrition, emphasizing its basis in nutrigenetics, epigenetics, microbiomics, and metabolomics. It examines how genetic polymorphisms, such as SNPs in genes like MTHFR, FTO, and APOE, influence nutrient metabolism and disease susceptibility, necessitating genotype-informed dietary interventions. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, dynamically regulate gene expression in response to dietary inputs and can be targeted through nutrient-specific interventions, especially during critical developmental windows. The gut microbiome is highlighted as a key determinant of individual dietary responses, with personalized modulation through prebiotics and probiotics showing benefits in nutrient absorption, metabolic regulation, and immune function. Metabolomic profiling offers real-time insights into nutrient utilization, enabling the development of biomarker-based dietary plans tailored to individual metabolic phenotypes. Integrating these omics technologies with digital health tools and artificial intelligence has allowed for more accurate and scalable nutrition strategies, paving the way for truly individualized interventions. Despite rapid advancements, the review also addresses major ethical, regulatory, and equity challenges, including concerns about data privacy, accessibility, and the standardization of nutrigenomic practices. It calls for robust multidisciplinary frameworks to ensure responsible implementation and equitable access. Furthermore, emerging areas such as microbiota-derived metabolites, bioactive herbal compounds, circadian-linked nutrient metabolism, and environmental exposures (e.g., microplastics) are discussed as novel biochemical considerations in personalized nutrition. In conclusion, personalized nutrition holds immense potential to revolutionize healthcare by translating molecular insights into actionable, precise, and preventive dietary recommendations. Its successful implementation requires continued innovation, ethical oversight, and a commitment to inclusivity across clinical and public health domains.