A study in mice has uncovered a new tool to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity, suggesting that a simple dietary change by fathers taking fish oil supplements could help address this pressing health issue.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of obese young people aged 5 to 19 is set to increase from 31 million in 1990 to 160 million by 2022. This excess weight can increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and can also lead to low self-esteem and depression.
To investigate whether a father’s diet affects the health of his offspring, the researchers fed male mice a high-fat diet with or without fish oil and found that the offspring of males who received fish oil weighed less and had better metabolic health than the offspring of fathers who did not receive fish oil supplementation.
“Although further human studies are needed, this discovery breaks new ground in our understanding of how parents influence the health of their offspring, beyond genetic factors. Fish oil is an easily available, safe supplement that could be a powerful weapon in our fight for healthier generations to come.”
Latha Ramalingam, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Syracuse University
Sarah Dellet, a graduate student in Ramalingam’s lab, will present her findings at NUTRITION 2024, the American Academy of Nutrition’s flagship annual meeting, taking place June 29 to July 2 in Chicago.
Researchers say this is the first study to look at paternal inheritance patterns exclusively, and it builds on previous research that showed the benefit of maternal fish oil supplementation in reducing the risk of obesity in children.
In the new study, which involved about 150 mice, the researchers fed male mice a high-fat diet with or without added fish oil, then mated them with female mice that ate a regular, healthy, low-fat diet.
The researchers found that offspring fed a low-fat, healthy diet and fathered by males given fish oil weighed less on days 7 and 21 than offspring of males not given fish oil. Female offspring of males given fish oil also had improved metabolic health, as measured by glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity.
“This concept has the potential to revolutionize strategies for fighting childhood obesity,” Ramalingam said. “Imagine a future where pre-pregnancy dietary advice isn’t just aimed at mothers, but also involves fathers, allowing them to play a more active role in promoting their children’s health from the get-go.”
The researchers are currently investigating potential mechanisms of how dietary changes affect sperm, aiming to better understand how this signaling influences subsequent generations. They are also investigating gene expression in muscle and liver to gain greater insight into the genetic basis of increased insulin sensitivity in women.
Derrett The research will be presented at the Graduate Student Research Awards Competition on Saturday, June 29th from 9:30am-12pm CST.Presentation details) and a Vitamin and Mineral Session on Sunday, June 30th from 9-9:12 a.m. CDT at McCormick Place (Abstract; Presentation details).
sauce:
American Academy of Nutrition
