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Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2006 - 19:07:47 |
Insulin resistance typical of type 2 diabetes in grandchildren may be linked to their grandma’s poor diet during her pregnancy and lactation, according to a study published online in The Journal of Physiology.
The study was conducted in rats by Peter W. Nathanielsz and colleagues at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City.
The study showed that the grandchildren of female rats fed an inadequate diet during pregnancy and/or lactation were more likely to become obese and insulin resistant than grandchildren of females fed an adequate diet.
Previous studies have already found that poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation predisposes the first generation of offspring to diabetes and heart disease. But Dr. Nathanielsz’s work is the first to reveal the effect of a grandmas’ diet on the grandchildren’s health.
Dr. Nathanielsz explained, "these new findings stretch the unwanted consequences of poor nutrition across generations. It offers us important clues about the origins of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Knowledge of the origins of type 2 diabetes has the potential to improve the health of millions as well as deliver very significant economic savings."
The study found that the granddaughters were more affected when their maternal grandmothers were undernourished during pregnancy. The grandsons, however, were more affected when their maternal grandmothers were undernourished during lactation.
According to Dr. Nathanielsz, the finding is important because it re-emphasizes the need to provide better maternal care and advice to women about good nutrition both during pregnancy and lactation.
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