Fat-Rich Diet of Pregnant Women Translates into Future Obese Adult Progeny

Like mother, like son. What your mother ate while pregnant with you is reflected in how you look. So says a Brazilian team who published its research made on rats in the journal "Lipids in Health and Disease." Pregnant and lactating rat females nurtured on a diet of hydrogenated fat rich in trans fatty acids, during pregnancy and lactation, had offspring who were fatter than those resulted after a normal diet. The harmful effects of the hydrogenated fat-rich diet persisted even after that diet was abandoned and it has been connected to insulin production.

"We know that fetal growth is influenced by the mother's nutritional status. The nutritional conditions during pregnancy have a major role in the metabolic and hormonal interactions between the mother's body, placenta and fetus. To date only a few studies have looked at the effects on trans fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation on the metabolism of offspring in adulthood. We found that the fatty content of the babies' bodies increased when the mothers were fed the hydrogenated fat rich diet and this could be traced to the gene expression of adipokines," said Brazilian nutritionist Luciana Pisani.

The researchers found that the metabolic rates of pregnant and lactating rats fed on hydrogenated fats rich in trans fatty acids decreased significantly. Young rats that had a normal diet after being born ate less and weighed less even if their mothers had been consuming high amounts of the trans fatty acids while pregnant.

The team focused on the gene expression of the adipokines, connected to insulin production. Weaned rats exposed to the trans-fatty rich diet added 40% to the body fat. Those whose mothers had been nurtured with trans fatty acids and consumed fats into adulthood displayed the highest metabolic efficiency (translated into increased fat deposits), connected to increased insulin synthesis.

"Fats play a fundamental role in fetal development and changes in dietary fatty acids have important implications for fetal and postnatal development. Heavy ingestion of very hydrogenated fats rich in trans fatty acids increases risk of cardiovascular diseases and reduces insulin sensitivity and so leads to type 2 diabetes. We need to investigate this further as this has important implications for people's own diets, especially pregnant women," said Pisani.