Personalized Nutrition 2020: Proceedings from the American Nutrition Association's 61st Annual Summit.

Abstract

The American Nutrition Association's 61st annual summit, Personalized Nutrition 2020, convened thought leaders and stakeholders to discuss innovations in personalized nutrition (PN) technology, science, and practice. Evolutions in PN science and technology are enabling novel inroads and applications, leading the ANA to launch a new component of its annual gathering, the Personalized Nutrition Business Leaders Forum. In light of renewed global interest in immune health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the flagship Science and Practice Conference focused on the topic of immune resilience. Presentations highlighted emerging research suggesting that individuals may have unique immunological responses to exogenous insults and that immune system resilience can be optimized by the application of nutritional factors that regulate immune function. Thus, PN tools and services may uniquely enhance immune preparedness by optimizing immune system function and status. Furthermore, PN practitioners trained to utilize emerging techniques and services can help prepare society to meet our modern immune challenges.HighlightsIn order to be effectively implemented, personalized nutrition requires ongoing research, innovative tools and services, and a specialized health care workforcePersonalized nutrition will continue to grow as an economic driver as consumer and patient interest surgeThere has been increased interest in the role of nutrition in immune function in light of COVID-19 and its comorbidities.