Abstract
Background: Metabolomic studies have generated extensive data on metabolic changes in aging and disease, yet translating this data into practical nutrition guidelines remains challenging. Recent analysis identified pathways common to both processes, termed the metapathway. As a network, it features key central metabolites that most representatively reflect its state. The manageable number of these key metabolites provides a practical basis for translating complex metabolomic data into actionable nutritional information. Methods: We developed a conceptual framework for precision nutrition approach involving: (1) selecting an initial (baseline) diet with minimal impact on key metapathway metabolites, (2) defining dietary modifications using foods and supplements that are capable of elevating them, and (3) implementing mass spectrometry-based metabolome fingerprinting to assess individual responses. This capability was evaluated using blood plasma and dried blood spot samples. Results: A promising precision nutrition was created, consisting of a selected baseline diet and its metabolomics-guided modification. The metabolic fingerprinting demonstrated the possibility of determining the diet outcome by identifying biological age change with an accuracy of 1 month. Conclusions: The fully metabolomics-guided nutrition strategy has been developed and is ready for further human testing to validate its translational potential and health benefits.