Summary
This narrative review appraises dietary biomarkers—objective molecular indicators in biological specimens—as alternatives to self-reported dietary assessment methods prone to measurement error. The paper synthesises evidence on established biomarkers for dairy, meat, fish, whole grains, citrus, and vegetables, whilst acknowledging limitations from metabolic variability, gut microbiota composition, and genetic factors. The authors propose that integrated multi-biomarker panels using metabolomics and machine learning, combined with traditional instruments, could strengthen causal inference and advance precision nutrition.
Regional applicability
This review is methodology-focused and applies broadly across jurisdictions. The biomarkers and validation frameworks discussed are internationally applicable; however, UK nutritional epidemiology studies could benefit from adopting these biomarker integration approaches to improve dietary exposure assessment in UK cohorts and strengthen evidence on diet–disease associations in the UK population.
Key measures
Plasma odd-chain fatty acids, acetylcarnitine, 3-methylhistidine, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, alkylresorcinols, proline betaine, carotenoids; biomarker specificity, correlation with habitual intake, reproducibility, dose–response relationships.
Outcomes reported
The study reviews the validity, applicability, and limitations of dietary biomarkers (molecular indicators in biological specimens) for measuring food intake in nutritional epidemiology. It evaluates established biomarkers for major food groups and emerging multi-biomarker approaches to improve dietary pattern assessment and reduce exposure misclassification.
Topic tags
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