Metabolomics as a tool in nutritional research

Metabolomics is emerging as a powerful tool for studying metabolic processes and in recent years, the applications in the area of nutrition have risen rapidly. The present review gives an overview of the current applications in the field of nutrition and identifies areas in need of advancement. Applications in nutrition research can in general be divided into three main areas: identification of dietary biomarkers, study of diet-related diseases and identification of biomarkers of disease and application to dietary intervention studies as a tool to identify molecular mechanisms. Metabolomics has made a significant impact on all the areas identified above and is set to have a major impact on the study of diet-health relationships.