Scientists are warning internet users about web-based companies which offer tailored diets to counter genetic vulnerability to certain cancers and other illnesses. Some sites are charging up to £1,000 for genetic testing and a dietary plan. But top scientists in the emerging field say the claims of some websites are "pie in the sky".
The rise in the marketing of "nutrigenomic" testing and diets on the internet is now the subject of an ethical inquiry funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Nutrigenomics is the scientific study of the interaction between genes, diet and illness. Serious scientists are beginning to establish some links between genetic variations and vulnerability to some illnesses or disorders which might react to certain diets. But the scientific community has stressed that there is no proof yet that the science can be used to improve health.
The websites, many of which are based in the US, sell postal genetic tests which they say will predict how quickly people will age, as well as their blood clotting and even breast cancer risks.
Liam Smeeth, a leading epidemiologist whose work on cardiovasular disease and diet has been quoted on some of the diet websites to back their claims, said: "Offering diets after genetic testing is a hugely exaggerated pie in the sky claim compared with what we know in nutrigenomics. We know what's good for everyone: eating a healthy, balanced diet and taking exercise - you don't need genetic testing for that. It's a gross misrepresentation of the science."
Paula Saukko, of Exeter University's centre for genomics in society, who has been funded by the Wellcome Trust's bioethical group to look into the sites' claims, said: "There have been claims that the public is misled by the commercial kit providers. For the first time we are going to investigate what the public is being told by commercial companies and the scientists themselves. "These tests are available over the internet so there's nothing to stop the British public from buying them also."
The inquiry will suggest whether regulation is needed to prevent companies publishing misleading nutrigenomic health claims.
