Charting the evolution of personalised nutrition: a comprehensive bibliometric survey of global research landscapes and future trajectories

Personalised nutrition has emerged as a revolutionary paradigm in nutritional science, shifting from traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches to tailored dietary recommendations. We conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis through a systematic search strategy capturing various conceptualisations of personalised nutrition. The analysis identified 3,159 publications demonstrating three distinct phases: an inaugural phase with minimal activity, a developmental phase showing gradual growth, and a maturation phase exhibiting exponential growth. Five distinct research clusters emerged: clinical nutrition applications for special populations, nutrigenomics and personalised dietary recommendations, metabolic health and weight management, gut microbiome and functional nutrition, and precision nutrition with multi-omics integration. Temporal analysis revealed a clear evolution from genetic foundations toward microbiome research, metabolomics, and computational approaches. Citation analysis highlighted landmark studies that established individual variability in dietary responses, the gut microbiome’s role in personalisation, and technology-enabled intervention systems as foundational to the field. The convergence of microbiome research, metabolomics, artificial intelligence (AI), and clinical applications creates promising directions for advancing personalised nutrition science. Future research must bridge the gap between mechanistic elucidation and clinical application, leveraging AI-driven predictive models and precision delivery systems to translate biological insights into effective public health strategies.