Regional Seminars 2010

Medical research indicates that a range of illnesses are linked by overlapping nutritional, metabolic, digestive and immune issues. Addressing underlying causes can improve health, behaviour and concentration while reducing the need for medications and the risk of disease. Selecting and sequencing appropriate treatments is essential for best outcomes and saves time and money

More importantly, an integrative approach can help prevent disease

It is becoming increasingly evident that (a) risk for developmental and degenerative disease increases with more DNA damage, which in turn is dependent on nutritional status, and (b) the optimal concentration of micronutrients for prevention of genome damage is also dependent on genetic polymorphisms that alter the function of genes involved directly or indirectly in the uptake and metabolism of micronutrients required for DNA repair and DNA replication.

The development of dietary patterns, functional foods and supplements that are designed to improve genome-health maintenance in individuals with specific genetic backgrounds may provide an important contribution to an optimum health strategy based on the diagnosis and individualised nutritional prevention of genome damage, i.e. genome health clinics.

Lectures will cover a range of developmental and degenerative disease including Alzheimers, Autism and Cancer to dimensionalise how seemingly unrelated diseases share key underlying issues. Focus will be on nutritional genomics approaches to preventing neurodevelopmental disorders by identifying those pregnancies, neonates and children at risk and then implementing optimal nutrition designed for specific genetic sub-groups to prevent DNA damage.

Jill James, PhD

Jill James will present her extensive research on Oxidative Stress and the Metabolic Pathology of Autism, methylcobalamin, folinic acid, glutathione redox status, cellular and mitochondrial glutathione redox imbalance in lymphoblastoid cells and abnormal transmethylation/ & transsulfuration metabolism and DNA hypomethylation among Parents of Children with Autism.

Michael Fenech PhD, CSIRO

Michael Fenech will present on the Genome Health Clinic concept; defining the nutritional requirements at an individual level to prevent DNA damage, genotype and DNA damage in children with a focus on the foetal, neonatal, weaning and childhood periods. Michael will also cover approaches to discovering the optimal micronutrient combination for DNA damage prevention in Autism Spectrum neonates and children in general.