DOI: 10.1177/02601060261478364 ISSN: 0260-1060

Are sustainable plant-based diets suitable for all? A nutrigenetic perspective

Eren Terzioğlu, Indrani Kalkan
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Background

While global nutrition policies increasingly promote plant-based diets for environmental sustainability, this approach may implicitly assume biological homogeneity and overlook interindividual genetic variability in nutrient metabolism.

Aim

This review evaluates potential molecular bottlenecks and genetic variations that may influence individual adaptation to plant-based dietary patterns, based on recent literature in nutrigenetics and micronutrient metabolism.

Methods

Peer-reviewed literature published primarily between 2015 and 2025 was searched across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using nutrigenetics- and plant-based nutrition-related terms; Google Scholar was additionally consulted for supplementary citation tracking. Foundational studies were included where mechanistically relevant. Studies lacking genotypic data, in vitro models without clinical relevance, and non-English publications were excluded.

Summary

Current evidence suggests that the conversion efficiency of plant-derived precursors into biologically active forms differs according to polymorphisms in genes including fatty acid desaturases ( FADS1/FADS2 ), beta-carotene oxygenase-1 ( BCO1 ), and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase ( PEMT ). Moreover, phytate-mediated constraints and variations affecting mineral absorption—transmembrane serine protease 6 ( TMPRSS6 ) and solute carrier family 39 member 4 ( SLC39A4 )—and vitamin B12 transport—fucosyltransferase-2 ( FUT2 ) and transcobalamin-2 ( TCN2 )—may increase susceptibility to subclinical micronutrient insufficiencies in genetically predisposed individuals. Although many associations reach statistical significance, their clinical impact varies across populations and depends on the overall dietary context. These genetic influences are not deterministic and may potentially be mitigated through targeted dietary planning and personalized supplementation. Precision nutrition frameworks incorporating genetic variability may improve dietary personalization; however, future large-scale longitudinal trials are required before these findings can address consensus clinical guidelines.

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