Nutrition during pregnancy will affect the health of the next two generations
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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A group of specialists using the example of laboratory mice showed that a woman's diet during pregnancy will affect the health of not only her children, but also her grandchildren. As it turned out, poor nutrition during pregnancy increases the risk of developing diabetes and obesity in the next two generations. Stress, which provokes the environment, leads to changes in DNA, including disabling genes. Most experts suggest that such changes can be inherited with spermatozoa and an ovum. This principle of inheritance is known as epigenetic.
For example, during the Second World War, food was scarce, and pregnant women could undergo genetic changes that increased the risk of cancer and diabetes in children and grandchildren of women. To build a model for this effect at the University of Cambridge, a team of specialists conducted an experiment with rodents. Scientists reduced caloric intake of mice by 50%, starting from the twelfth day of intrauterine development and ending with birth. As a result, newborn rodents had less weight and were predisposed to diabetes, despite the fact that after their birth the ration was full. In addition, the scientists found that offspring from males of the first generation of mice also had a predisposition to diabetes mellitus. After analyzing the sperm of rodents born from malnourished mothers, the scientists determined that some changes occurred in the work of genes. In addition, as a result of the research it became known that a decrease in the degree of modification in 111 DNA sections affects the health of rodents. Nutritionally normal rodents produced offspring, who did not notice any significant changes in DNA, but the second generation already had some problems.
In another study, scientists have determined that a predilection for harmful products can cause a change in DNA in humans. As it turned out, improper nutrition can affect even the next generation, and excessive consumption of harmful food provokes cancer, inflammatory processes, infectious diseases, allergies. Thus experts have established, that at an improper feed the microflora of an intestine is broken.
Even previous studies have shown that an unbalanced diet changes the bacterial composition of the body, which leads to a significant weakening of immunity. Particular danger is presented by malnutrition for Westerners, while some experts believe that the epidemic of autoimmune diseases in Europe and the United States is associated with the predominance of harmful foods in the diet. Thus scientists mark, that probiotics and various vitamin additives are not capable to change a situation to the best.
According to experts it is important to change their lifestyle and eating habits, give preference to healthy food. Otherwise, bacteria will gradually adapt to harmful products, which will cause genetic changes. Given the changes in the structure of DNA, dangerous immune disorders can be transmitted to the next generation. Experts say that it is necessary to reduce the consumption of sugar and fat, while increasing the amount of protein due to meat and fish.
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