Genetic background of healthy food
The results of extensive research on the actual nutritional and health status in various regions of Russia indicate steadily inappropriate nutritional intakes. The most significant negative impact on the state of public health is the lack of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, some polyunsaturated fatty acids), which causes the disruption of the functioning of antioxidant defense systems, the development of immunodeficiency states and, as a result, a sharp decrease in the body's resistance to adverse environmental factors. In turn, the external environment factors and living conditions have a direct impact on the formation of dietary habits and lifestyle. Such an impact of ethnosphere on different ethnic groups and their adaptation to environmental conditions can be exemplified by the use of milk. Reduced activity of lactase synthesis in humans is caused by decreased activity of the gene responsible for the production of the enzyme. However, high activity of the lactase enzyme in adults is also possible in the case of mutation of the gene responsible for lactase synthesis. A comparative analysis of the frequency distribution of genotypes determining lactase deficiency shows that Russians living in the Volga-Ural region have frequencies of genotypes causing lactase deficiency comparable to those among Belarusians, Ukrainians, Frenchmen, Mordovians, Udmurts and Komis (38%). Lactase deficiency occurs among 76% of the Bashkir people, this figure being close to that among Kazakhs, Buryats, mountain Maris and lower than among the peoples of Southeast Asia. Our results provide a basis for explaining formation mechanisms in a number of multifactorial disorders and human complex traits depending on the individual genetic profile and dietary habits.