Precision Nutrition and Health Outcomes Across the Lifespan
- 1National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Abstract
Precision nutrition is an emerging paradigm that seeks to tailor dietary recommendations and interventions based on individual and population characteristics. Although advances in multi-omics, wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) have accelerated discovery, translation into practice remains limited by fragmented evidence across life stages and insufficient integration of knowledge regarding systems biology and other influences on health. Nutritional needs, vulnerabilities, intervention opportunities, and response heterogeneity evolve dynamically from preconception and pregnancy through infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older age. These life stage-specific processes intersect with (epi)genetic, metabolic and microbiome factors, as well as social, psychological, behavioral, and environmental/geographic influences, contributing to heterogeneity in health outcomes. Addressing this complexity requires not only multimodal predictive models but also frameworks that integrate data standards and harmonization, systems biology, implementation science, and community engagement. To provide a structured approach to this complexity, we developed a seven-pillar Precision Nutrition Framework encompassing prevention for all, data sources, quantitative sciences, qualitative sciences, intervention implementation, communities, and education and workforce training. Using this framework and a lifespan perspective, we examine opportunities for promoting cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and circadian/sleep health, synthesize evidence on key nutrients, dietary patterns, and emerging biomarkers, and adapt and expand the “precision nutrition plate” for implementation research in clinical and community settings. We highlight critical research gaps, including the need for phenotype-guided trials, standardized data integration, and scalable implementation strategies. By integrating biological, behavioral, and broader environmental dimensions across the life course, precision nutrition can advance more effective, accessible, and sustainable approaches for disease prevention and health promotion.
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BibTeX
@article{shi2026precision,
title = {{Precision Nutrition and Health Outcomes Across the Lifespan}},
author = {Yang (Scarlet) Shi and Alison G. M. Brown and Shilpy Dixit and Eric J. Shiroma and Nicole Farmer and Qing Lu and Beena Sood and Debbie Vitalis and Maliha Ilias and Marrah Lachowicz-Scroggins and Charlotte A. Pratt},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18203424},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/20/3424},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Precision Nutrition and Health Outcomes Across the Lifespan
AU - Yang (Scarlet) Shi
AU - Alison G. M. Brown
AU - Shilpy Dixit
AU - Eric J. Shiroma
AU - Nicole Farmer
AU - Qing Lu
AU - Beena Sood
AU - Debbie Vitalis
AU - Maliha Ilias
AU - Marrah Lachowicz-Scroggins
AU - Charlotte A. Pratt
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18203424
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/20/3424
AB - Precision nutrition is an emerging paradigm that seeks to tailor dietary recommendations and interventions based on individual and population characteristics. Although advances in multi-omics, wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) have accelerated discovery, translation into practice remains limited by fragmented evidence across life stages and insufficient integration of knowledge regarding systems biology and other influences on health. Nutritional needs, vulnerabilities, intervention opportunities, and response heterogeneity evolve dynamically from preconception and pregnancy through infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older age. These life stage-specific processes intersect with (epi)genetic, metabolic and microbiome factors, as well as social, psychological, behavioral, and environmental/geographic influences, contributing to heterogeneity in health outcomes. Addressing this complexity requires not only multimodal predictive models but also frameworks that integrate data standards and harmonization, systems biology, implementation science, and community engagement. To provide a structured approach to this complexity, we developed a seven-pillar Precision Nutrition Framework encompassing prevention for all, data sources, quantitative sciences, qualitative sciences, intervention implementation, communities, and education and workforce training. Using this framework and a lifespan perspective, we examine opportunities for promoting cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and circadian/sleep health, synthesize evidence on key nutrients, dietary patterns, and emerging biomarkers, and adapt and expand the “precision nutrition plate” for implementation research in clinical and community settings. We highlight critical research gaps, including the need for phenotype-guided trials, standardized data integration, and scalable implementation strategies. By integrating biological, behavioral, and broader environmental dimensions across the life course, precision nutrition can advance more effective, accessible, and sustainable approaches for disease prevention and health promotion.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -