Translator: Rhonda Jacobs

Reviewer: Leonardo Silva

This is me ten years ago. I weighed 40 pounds more than today, and like many people,I wanted to lose
weight. Like many people, I wanted to know what is the best diet for humans.

Many of us actually have an opinion about this question. Some believe that a low fat, plant-based diet is
the best. Others, that a low-carb diet, rich in proteinand animal fat, is the best.

Others have opinions on how much sugar we should eat, or how much salt, cholesterol,saturated fat,
eggs or dairy products we should have in our diet.

But the question of what the best diet is,

is a scientific one,

so there should be no room

for opinions or beliefs.

If Diet A is really better than Diet B,

then a study that compares

the two on enough people

should show that definitively.

No opinions, no beliefs,

just hard data, right?

What is also clear is that

if the best diet does exist,

then we haven't yet found it

because the incidence

of diet-related disease

has increased dramatically

in the past several decades.

Now, you might think it's because

people don't listen to what we tell them.

But in fact, that's not true,

people actually generally

do follow dietary guidelines.

But according to

the Center for Disease Control,

if you live in the United States,

there's over a 70 percent chance

that you're either overweight, diabetic

or have non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease.

And there's overwhelming evidence

that diet and lifestyle

are major drivers of these conditions.

So why is it that after so much research,

we still don't have an answer

to the seemingly simple question

of what is the best diet for humans?

What I'd like to propose to you today

is that the reason we don't have an answer

is because we've been

asking the wrong question.

And it's the wrong question

because it assumes

that the best diet depends

only on the food

and not on the person eating it.

But what if differences in our genetics,

lifestyle, our gut bacteria

cause us to respond differently to food?

What if these differences explain why

some diets work for some people

but not for others?

What if our nutrition needs to be

personally tailored to our unique make-up?

This is exactly the question

we set out to ask in our own research,

which I Eran Segal with his colleague, Eran Elinav and several graduate students from the Weizmann
Institute of Science took a scientific approach a metric that relevant for weight management and diet-
related disease. It led them to focus on blood glucose levels, and more precisely, changes in blood
glucose levels after a meal.

about a metric

of healthy nutrition that we should study.

Most studies examine weight loss

or risk of heart disease after some diet.

But the problem is that these are affected

by many factors unrelated to diet,

they take many weeks to change,

and in the end, you get

a single measure of success.

And if it didn't work, well then

it's very hard to understand why.

And so instead, we searched for a metric

that would still be relevant

for weight management

and diet-related disease,

but one that we could also easily

and accurately measure across many people.

And this led us to focus

on blood glucose levels,

and more precisely, changes

in blood glucose levels after a meal.

We call this a "meal glucose response."

Why is it important?

Well, because high

glucose levels after a meal

promote both hunger and weight gain.

After we eat,

our body digests the carbohydrates

in the food into simple sugars

and releases them into the bloodstream.

From there, with the help of insulin,

cells throughout our body

remove the glucose from the blood

so that they can use it

as a source of energy.

But insulin also signals our body

to convert excess sugar into fat

and store it,

and that's a primary way

by which we gain weight.

In addition, fast flow

of glucose into the blood

often causes our body

to release too much insulin,

which could lower our glucose levels

to below baseline,

making us feel hungry and eat more.

Meal glucose responses

are also very relevant for our health

because they've been shown

to be risk factors for obesity,

diabetes, cardiovascular disease

and other metabolic disorders.

A recent study that followed

2,000 people for over 30 years

found that higher meal

glucose levels after meals

predict overall higher mortality.

Finally, and not least important,

with recent technological advances,

we can now follow a person's

glucose levels continuously

for an entire week.

And since the average person

eats around 50 meals a week,

it allows us to measure glucose responses

to 50 meals in just a single week.

Meal glucose responses also provide us

with a way to directly measure

the effect of every single meal,

as opposed to common approaches

that only evaluate

the effect of an overall diet.

Now, of course, there are many factors

beyond glucose levels

that influence a healthy diet.

But this is a very important one,

and solving it

can be a major step forward.

Luckily for us, we managed to convince

1,000 healthy people of this idea,

and we connected them

to one of these small glucose sensors

and tracked their glucose levels

continuously for an entire week.

And during that week, participants

logged everything that they ate

on a mobile app that we developed.

And so that allowed us

to measure glucose responses

to 50 different meals for each person

and around 50,000 different meals

across all 1,000 participants,

making our study the largest one

that was ever done

on this problem until today.

So what did we find?

Well, when we looked

at averages, we saw trends.

For example, more

carbohydrates in the meal

generally increase the response.

This is not so surprising.

Another, perhaps more surprising, trend

is that more fat in the meal

generally decreased the response.

But - and this is

the key finding of our study -

for every trend we found,

there were many people

who were very different from it.

Basically, when the same person

ate the same meal on different days,

the response was very similar.

But when different people

ate the same meal,

the response was very different.

For example, white bread

induced almost no effect

on the blood sugar levels of some people,

but in others, it induced huge spikes.

And the same was true

for every single food we tested,

including rice, pizza,

sushi and even chocolate.

For every food, there were some people

who had low responses,

others who had medium responses,

and yet others

that had very high responses.

It wasn't just about the food,

it was also about the person eating it.

So while averages

and trends are informative,

for any given individual,

they may not mean much.

Now, it wasn't just about

how good the body was at handling sugar,

each person had different foods

that spiked his levels.

Some people even had opposite responses.

For example, some people

spiked for ice cream but not for rice.

But then others spiked for rice

and not for ice cream.

In fact, more people spiked for rice

than for ice cream.

Now, my wife is a clinical dietician,

so when I showed her

this data, she was shocked,

because as a practitioner, she of course

relies on general dietary guidelines,

and so one of the first things

that she tells her many

newly diagnosed pre-diabetics

is to stop eating foods such as ice cream

and instead eat more

complex carbohydrates such as brown rice.

So, as soon as she saw our data,

she of course realized

that for most of her patients

not only does her dietary advice not help,

but in fact, it pushes them faster

to develop the very same disease

that her advice was meant to prevent.

So these results of ours

on such a large data set

convinced us that responses

to food are personal,

and that diets that maintain

normal blood glucose levels

must therefore be personally

tailored to the individual.

They also show, in our view,

why the current nutritional paradigm

that searches for that one best diet

is inherently flawed.

The best diet for humans does not exist.

Our responses to food are personal,

so our dietary advice

must also be personal.

And personalized dietary advice

was our next challenge.

To tackle it, we measured

many parameters across participants

that we thought may explain

people's variability
in glucose response to meals.

And these included basic metrics

and lifestyle factors like age, weight,

height and physical activity,

but also blood tests, medical background

and food frequency questionnaires,

and also DNA sequencing

of both the human genome

and the gut bacteria composition

of each person.

Now, of these, the gut bacteria

was perhaps the most novel

component that we examined.

For hundred of years, we know

that bacteria live within our body.

But only with recent advances

in DNA sequencing

could we begin to study them extensively.

And when we did,

we found that this vast collection

of hundreds of different species

that we each host,

collectively termed "our microbiome,"

has a major impact

on our health and disease.

And what makes the microbiome

even more exciting

is that unlike our genetics,

we can also change it

even by simple means,

such as changing what we eat.

Our bacteria help us digest

some of the food that we eat,

and in turn, produce molecules

that are taken by our own cells

and affect our physiology.

For example, in our own research,

we studied artificial sweeteners,

which the vast majority of us

consume on a daily basis

in various diet soda drinks

and other products.

And we found that consumption

of artificial sweeteners

alters the composition of the gut bacteria

such that when transferred into mice

causes the mice

to develop symptoms of diabetes.

And so this and several other studies

led us to ask whether the microbiome

would also be important

for explaining people's

glucose variability in response to meals.

And so we took this microbiome

and other clinical data that we collected,

and we used advanced

machine learning algorithms

to automatically search for rules

that predict personalized

glucose responses to meals.

For example, one such rule could be

that if you're over 50,

and you have a certain bacterial species,

then your response

to a banana will be high.

The overall algorithm

combined tens of thousands of such rules

that it automatically

deduced from the data.

This approach is actually similar

to how websites like Amazon

make book recommendations,

except that we applied it

to how people respond to food.

And we could show that this algorithm

could then take any person,

even people who are not part

of our original study,

and predict the response

to arbitrary meals with high accuracy.

So as a final step, we asked

whether we can also use this algorithm

to design personalized diets

that normalize blood glucose levels.

So we recruited

and profiled new participants,

and we asked the algorithm to predict

two diets for each person;

in one diet, which we called

the "bad diet,"

we asked the algorithm to predict foods

for which that person

would have high responses.

And in the other - "good diet" -

we asked it to predict foods for which

that person would have low responses.

And each person then followed

each diet for one week.

Now, by design, the diets

had to be identical in calories.

In fact, all breakfasts,

lunches and dinners

had the same calories on different days.

And it's also important to note

that each person received

a different personalized diet,

and there were even some foods

that were given to some people

on their good diet

but to others on their bad diet.

Now, to show you that these diets

are not the obvious ones

you might think of,

here they are for one of our participants.

Now, take a moment and see

if you can guess for yourself

which one the algorithm

predicted to be the good diet

and which to be the bad diet

for this particular participant.

And as you look at these,

notice that each diet contains foods

that would not typically appear

in standard diets.

And now for fun,

let's play a quick guessing game,

and you all have to participate.

So, raise your hand if you think

the diet on the right is the good one.

Okay. Now raise your hand if you think

the diet on the left is the good one.

Okay, definitely we see

nearly a 50/50 split here,

showing you that

it's definitely not trivial to guess.

And I can tell you

that for this participant,

the algorithm predicted

the diet on the right,

the one with the ice cream,

to be the good one.

And so now the only question is

how good did these diets work.

And what I'll show you next is in our view

perhaps the most striking result

that came out of our study.

So here are the continuous glucose levels

of this participant

when following the bad diet.

And you can clearly see abnormally high

glucose levels after meals

indicating that this participant

has impaired glucose tolerance

and is likely pre-diabetic.

But on the good diet,

the one with the ice cream

and the same amount of calories

as the bad diet,

this same pre-diabetic participant

achieved fully normal blood glucose levels

without even a single spike

across the entire week.

Obviously, we were very happy

to find out these results,

and, in fact, we found similar results

for most participants

for which we designed personalized diets

using our algorithm.

Now, not only that, but the good diet

also induced several consistent changes

in the gut bacteria of most participants.

And it seemed that

these changes were beneficial,

because bacteria that in other studies

were associated with good outcomes

tended to increase after the good diet,

and bacteria associated with disease

tended to decrease.

And this result is of course

very intriguing

because it suggests that in addition

to normalizing blood glucose levels

during the intervention week,

the good diet also induced

beneficial effects

that may persist even beyond

the intervention week.

So what's the take-home message

from all of this?

Well, based on the glucose

responses variability

that we saw across 1,000 people,

our conclusion is that

there is no single best diet for humans

because we are all too different.

It also means that if

a certain diet hasn't worked for you,

then maybe it was the wrong diet for you.

Your dietary failures

may not be your fault.

Your diet may have failed

simply because it did not take information

about you as an individual into account.

So what can you do

with this information now?

Well, right now, you can actually measure

your personal glucose responses

to your favorite meals

using simple glucose devices

that you can buy at your local drug store.

And I guarantee that you'll be surprised

at which foods personally spike

your glucose levels and which do not.

As a more complete solution,

we are working hard to make

our algorithms available to everyone

so that you'll be able, from your home,

to provide basic

clinical information about yourself,

send a sample of your microbiome,

and in return receive

personalized dietary advice.

We are also starting longer-term

dietary intervention studies

in both pre-diabetics and diabetics

that will go on for a full year.

Because we believe that if the effect

of normalizing blood glucose levels

that we were able to obtain in one week

could persist for a longer time period,

then we might be able to reverse,

and even cure, these conditions,

which constitute one

of the worst epidemics of our times.

More broadly,

I believe that we are entering

a new era in the study of nutrition,

one in which we will move away from asking

what is the best diet for humans,

and instead, focus

on the more appropriate question

of what is the best diet for me.

Thank you very much.

(Applause)

- Generated with https://kome.ai

the search for the best diet has been hindered by asking the wrong question is a valid perspective, and it
aligns with the growing recognition of the importance of personalized nutrition. The idea that individual
factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and gut microbiota can significantly impact how our bodies respond to
different foods is gaining traction in the field of nutrition science.

Acknowledging that people have unique genetic make-ups, lifestyle choices, and gut microbiomes is
crucial. There is a growing body of research suggesting that these individual differences play a significant
role in how our bodies metabolize and respond to different nutrients. The concept of personalized
nutrition recognizes that a diet that works well for one person may not be optimal for another.
Personalized nutrition has the potential to contribute to long-term health and disease prevention by
addressing individual risk factors and promoting dietary choices that are better aligned with an
individual's biological makeup. Instead of searching for a universal "best" diet, a more holistic approach
involves tailoring dietary recommendations to an individual's specific needs and characteristics. This
may involve considering not only the nutritional content of food but also how it interacts with an
individual's unique biology.

Eran Segal and Eran Elinav, along with their team at the Weizmann Institute of Science, have been
pioneers in applying a scientific approach to understanding the relationship between blood glucose
levels and various aspects of health, including weight management and diet-related diseases. Their
focus on post-meal blood glucose levels is grounded in the recognition that these levels can provide
valuable insights into how individuals metabolize different foods.

Eran Segal, along with his colleague Eran Elinav and their team from the Weizmann Institute of Science,
has contributed significantly to the field of personalized nutrition by focusing on blood glucose levels
and their relationship to weight management and diet-related diseases. Their scientific approach to
understanding the dynamics of blood glucose levels after meals has provided valuable insights into how
individuals respond to different foods, and it has implications for tailoring dietary recommendations on
a personalized level.

The meal glucose response is important for several reasons, and understanding it can have significant
implications for our overall health and well-being. When we eat, our bodies break down carbohydrates
from food into glucose, which is a primary source of energy. The meal glucose response reflects how our
bodies handle this incoming glucose. If our blood glucose levels spike too high or drop too low after a
meal, it can impact our energy levels and overall vitality.

Consistently elevated blood glucose levels, especially after meals, can contribute to weight gain. When
our bodies produce more insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar) to deal with frequent spikes in
glucose, it can lead to the storage of excess calories as fat. Understanding and managing the meal
glucose response can be crucial for those aiming to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

3. **Type 2 Diabetes Risk:** Prolonged and frequent spikes in blood glucose levels are associated with
an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Monitoring and managing the meal glucose response
can be a proactive way to reduce this risk by making informed dietary choices that help maintain more
stable blood sugar levels.

4. **Cravings and Hunger:** Fluctuations in blood glucose levels can impact feelings of hunger and
cravings. After a meal, a rapid increase and subsequent drop in blood glucose can lead to increased
hunger, potentially prompting unhealthy eating habits. Understanding how different foods affect our
blood glucose levels can help in making choices that support satiety and reduce overeating.

5. **Individualized Nutrition:** People respond differently to the same foods due to factors like
genetics, lifestyle, and gut health. Recognizing and understanding our unique meal glucose responses
can pave the way for personalized nutrition advice. This means tailoring dietary recommendations based
on how our bodies specifically react to different foods, promoting a more effective and personalized
approach to healthy eating.

The idea that there isn't a one-size-fits-all "best" diet for humans is an important concept to understand.
Each person is unique, with individual factors like genetics, lifestyle, and personal preferences
influencing how our bodies respond to different foods. Here are some thoughts on this idea for a
general audience:

1. **Personalized Responses to Food:** Just as our fingerprints are unique, so are our responses to
food. What works well for one person may not work as effectively for another. This is because our
bodies metabolize and react to nutrients in a highly individualized way.

2. **No Universal Solution:** The notion that there's no universally perfect diet challenges the idea of a
magic formula for health. It recognizes that the complexity of our biology and lifestyles makes it unlikely
that a single diet will suit everyone. Understanding and embracing our individuality allows for a more
realistic and sustainable approach to healthy eating.

3. **Diverse Factors at Play:** Personalized responses to food involve a combination of genetic factors,
gut health, metabolism, and lifestyle choices. This means that dietary advice needs to consider the
holistic picture of an individual's health rather than focusing solely on the nutritional content of food.

4. **Empowerment Through Personalization:** Recognizing the personal nature of dietary responses

empowers individuals to take charge of their health. Instead of adhering strictly to generalized dietary
guidelines, people can experiment and find what works best for them, taking into account their own
preferences and body's unique reactions.

5. **Adaptability Over Time:** Our nutritional needs can also change over time due to factors like aging,
changes in activity levels, and shifts in health status. Embracing the idea of personalized nutrition allows
for adaptability, encouraging individuals to reassess and adjust their dietary choices as needed.

6. **A Balanced Approach:** While acknowledging the need for personalization, it's also important to
emphasize the basics of a balanced diet. Regardless of individual differences, certain principles like
consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins remain foundational to good
health.

The idea that there is no single best diet for humans because of our inherent differences is a perspective
that emphasizes the uniqueness of individuals when it comes to dietary needs. Here are thoughts on this
concept for a general audience:
1. **Diverse Individuals, Diverse Needs:** Human beings are incredibly diverse in terms of genetics,
lifestyle, and other individual factors. This diversity extends to how our bodies process and respond to
different foods. What works for one person may not work for another, and recognizing this diversity is
key to understanding the complexities of nutrition.

2. **No One-Size-Fits-All Solution:** The notion challenges the idea of a universal or "one-size-fits-all"
approach to dieting. Just because a particular diet has been successful for some doesn't guarantee the
same results for everyone. Our bodies are unique, and what suits one person's metabolism, health
goals, and preferences may not be the right fit for someone else.

3. **Personal Responsibility vs. Personalized Nutrition:** It suggests that if a diet hasn't worked for an
individual, it might not necessarily be their fault. Rather than placing blame on the person, it encourages
a shift in focus toward the need for personalized nutrition. This means tailoring dietary choices based on
individual factors to increase the likelihood of success.

4. **Understanding Dietary Failures:** Instead of viewing dietary failures as personal shortcomings, this
perspective invites individuals to consider that the diet itself may not have been well-suited to their
unique needs. It highlights the importance of finding an approach that aligns with one's own body,
preferences, and lifestyle for long-term success.

5. **Importance of Individual Information:** The idea underscores the significance of taking individual
information into account when making dietary choices. This includes factors such as genetics,
metabolism, health conditions, and personal preferences. Embracing this approach can lead to a more
holistic and effective way of managing nutrition.

6. **Trial and Error:** Since everyone is different, finding the right dietary approach may involve some
trial and error. It's a journey of self-discovery where individuals can learn about what works best for
their bodies and what doesn't. This encourages a more flexible and adaptable approach to nutrition.

The shift from asking "what is the best diet for humans" to "what is the best diet for me" reflects an
exciting evolution in the study of nutrition. Here's a breakdown of this concept for a general audience:

1. **Recognizing Individual Differences:** Every person is unique, and factors such as genetics, lifestyle,
and health conditions can influence how our bodies respond to different foods. The idea of finding the
"best diet for me" recognizes and celebrates these individual differences.

2. **Personalized Nutrition:** This shift signifies a move towards personalized nutrition, where dietary
recommendations are tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of each individual. What works
well for one person may not be optimal for another, and understanding these differences can lead to
more effective and sustainable dietary choices.

3. **Improved Health Outcomes:** By focusing on personalized nutrition, we have the potential to

improve health outcomes on an individual level. This approach considers not only the nutritional
content of food but also how it interacts with an individual's unique biology, helping to address specific
health goals and concerns.

4. **Empowerment through Knowledge:** As individuals become more aware of their own responses to
different foods, they can make informed choices that align with their health objectives. This shift
empowers people to take an active role in their well-being, fostering a sense of ownership and control
over their dietary habits.

5. **Adapting to Changing Needs:** Our nutritional needs can change over time due to factors such as
aging, lifestyle changes, and health conditions. Asking the question, "What is the best diet for me?"
recognizes that dietary recommendations should be flexible and adaptable to meet the evolving needs
of individuals at different stages of life.

6. **Advancements in Research and Technology:** The increasing focus on personalized nutrition is

made possible by advancements in research methodologies and technology. Tools such as genetic
testing, microbiome analysis, and wearable devices contribute to a deeper understanding of how
individuals uniquely respond to various dietary interventions.

In summary, the shift towards asking, "What is the best diet for me?" represents a more nuanced and
individualized approach to nutrition. It acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and
encourages people to explore and understand their own bodies to make choices that support their
personal health and well-being. This shift marks an exciting era in nutrition science, where the emphasis
is on empowering individuals to take charge of their health through personalized dietary approaches.

In summary, the perspective that there is no single best diet for humans emphasizes the need for
personalized nutrition. It empowers individuals to understand that their dietary experiences are
influenced by their unique characteristics and that finding the right approach may require a personalized
understanding of what works best for them. This approach encourages self-compassion and a more
tailored, sustainable approach to healthy eating.

In summary, the idea that the best diet is a personal one underscores the importance of understanding
and respecting our individuality when it comes to food choices. It encourages a more flexible and
adaptable approach to nutrition, promoting not just physical health but also a positive and sustainable
relationship with food.
In essence, the meal glucose response serves as a valuable indicator of how our bodies handle the
energy from the food we eat. By paying attention to this response, individuals can make informed
choices about their diets, promoting better energy regulation, weight management, and overall health.

However, it's important to note that while personalized nutrition is a promising avenue, it's still an
evolving field, and more research is needed to fully understand the complexity of individual responses to
different diets. Additionally, practical challenges, such as cost and accessibility of personalized nutrition
strategies, need to be addressed for widespread implementation.

In conclusion, the perspective that the best diet is a personalized one, tailored to an individual's unique
characteristics, is a compelling and forward-thinking concept that aligns with the increasing
understanding of the complexity of human biology and nutrition.