We all know the implications of a mother’s diet on the baby’s health. As per NIH, the physical and mental development of the child can be hindered if a woman is undernourished during her pregnancy or the first two years of the child’s life. Now, a new study suggests that a father’s diet plays a surprisingly big role in the health of his future children.
Through several experiments on mice, scientists have discovered that a father’s diet can affect his offspring’s metabolism, health risks and even emotional well-being. The diet is expected to influence the development of sperm cells which is linked to the nutrients they consume. It can potentially alter the expression of a child’s genes even though the DNA remains unchanged.
Researchers used a rat model to explore how a father’s diet could affect his future offspring. They discovered that fathers who ate diets low in protein and high in carbohydrates were more likely to have increased anxiety symptoms in their children. Researchers assessed this concern by looking at how much time these rats liked to spend in the supposedly safe places of the maze.
At the same time, daughters born to fathers with high amounts of fat in their bodies were likely to have more body fat. Apart from this, these daughters showed early symptoms of metabolic diseases like diabetes. The study confirms that the father’s diet matters even before the child is conceived. Apart from the quantity of calories consumed the source of the same also plays a major role in a future child’s health.
“By changing the mixtures of protein, fat, and carbs in the father’s diet we could influence specific features of his sons and daughter’s health and behaviour,” said Professor Stephen Simpson, co-senior author and academic director of the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney.
As per the study, it’s not just about how much a father eats, but also what he eats. The specific balance of macronutrients, i.e. proteins, fats and carbohydrates, appears to have an important influence. The findings highlight the importance of a comprehensive approach to family planning that considers the health of both mothers and fathers. By focusing on a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients before conception, parents can lay the foundation for a healthy future generation. However, it should also be noted that these experiments are done on mice and cannot be directly applied to humans.
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