Pre-conception diet as important as pregnancy diet

Poor maternal diet even before conception can result in offspring with reduced birth weights and increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Research being presented to the Society for Experimental Biology’s Annual Conference in Glasgow uses an animal model to show the important of diet even before conception occurs. The study found that mice which were fed a low protein diet for ten weeks prior to conception but were fed a normal diet during pregnancy, gave birth to baby mice that had lower birth weights, experienced catch-up growth after weaning and increased insulin sensitivity.

These effect, especially in humans, can lead to real problems as the baby matures. “Low birth weight and catch-up growth is associated with enhanced insulin-sensitivity in young adults this then deteriorates into insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes with increased age. There is also evidence that male offspring are more likely to develop obesity,” explained Anete Dudele, from the University of Aarhus.

Humans and mice respond to maternal diet the same way. Their offspring show low birth weights and increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “If humans respond in the same way as mice to pre-conception diet as well then women should not only consider what they eat during pregnancy but also before pregnancy if they want o reduce the risk of their future children acquiring lifestyle diseases,” concluded Dudele.

Source: Society for Experimental Biology, ScienceDaily