Expectant parents who take a daily fish oil pill may stop their children from gaining weight, according to new research.
The cheap 2p supplement could become a “powerful weapon” to reduce the risk of childhood obesity, scientists have claimed.
It’s not just the mother’s diet that influences the child’s health.
What a father-to-be eats and drinks can have an impact, a study in rats has shown.
This suggests that a parent may be able to lower the risk of obesity in their children by eating fish daily. oil supplement.
The number of young people aged five to 19 who are clinically obese has increased from 31 million in 1990 to 160 million in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In England, more than one in five children in Year 6 are now obese, with the rate rising as a result of the pandemic.
Packing on pounds at a young age can increase your risk of serious health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — and can also lead to low self-esteem and depression, doctors say.
To find out whether a parent’s diet could influence their offspring’s health, American researchers fed male rats a high-fat diet, with or without added fish oil.
They found that the offspring of males who consumed fish oil had lower body weight and had better metabolic health than the offspring of rats that did not consume fish oil supplements.
Study leader Dr Latha Ramalingam said: “While more studies in humans are needed, this discovery opens a new frontier in our understanding of how parents, beyond genetics, influence the well-being of their children.
“Fish oil, a safe and easily available supplement, can become a powerful weapon in our fight for a healthier diet. next generation.”
The research team says this is the first study to examine inheritance patterns passed down exclusively through the father.
It builds on his previous work, which showed the benefits of mothers taking fish oil supplements to reduce the risk of childhood obesity.
The research team fed more than 140 male rats a high-fat diet, with or without added fish oil, for the new study.
They were then mated with female mice that consumed a regular, healthy low-fat diet.
The research team found that pups fed a healthy low-fat diet and fathered by males that received fish oil weighed less at seven and 21 days, compared to the pups of male rats that did not receive fish oil. .
Female offspring of males given fish oil also showed better metabolic health – measured by glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity.
Metabolic health is related to the way your body processes things like fats and sugar.
A key component is how the body responds to insulin. Insulin helps transport sugar from the blood to the body’s cells.
When this process starts to not work as well, we develop something called insulin resistance, which causes blood sugar levels to rise.
Higher blood sugar levels are associated with a larger waist size, increased blood pressure and higher levels of unhealthy fats like cholesterol in the body, according to Bupa.
Ramalingam, assistant professor of nutrition at Syracuse University in New York, said the study’s findings have “significant potential to reshape our strategies for combating childhood obesity.”
She added: “Imagine a future where pre-conception dietary guidance is not just aimed at mothers, but also involves fathers, allowing them to play a more active role in promoting the well-being of their children from the beginning.”
The research team is now studying how dietary changes can affect sperm.
The latest conclusions were presented at the annual meeting of the American Nutrition Society in Chicago.
The study comes after Chinese researchers discovered a link between regular consumption of cod liver oil and an increased risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation in people who do not already have heart disease.
What are the benefits of fish oil supplements?
MILLIONS take fish oil supplements to stay flexible, as they claim to improve joint, brain and eye health.
Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, also found in foods such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, as well as flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and canola oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids play important roles in brain function, normal growth and development, and inflammation.
Deficiencies have been linked to a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, mood disorders and arthritis.
But that doesn’t mean that taking high doses of fish oil supplements will give you better health or prevent these diseases.
Instead, health experts advise that you get your nutrients from food rather than pills.
As Howard LeWine, chief medical editor of Harvard Health Publishing, states: “If we could say absolutely and positively that the benefits of eating seafood come entirely from omega-3 fats, then swallowing fish oil pills would be an alternative to fish consumption.
“But you more than likely need the full orchestra of fish fats, vitamins, minerals and support molecules, rather than the lone notes of omega-3.”
According to Tracy Parker, senior nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation: “A healthy, balanced diet that includes oily fish can provide omega-3s and all the other essential nutrients to keep your heart healthy.
“The traditional Mediterranean diet has been repeatedly shown to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.”
Sources: Harvard Health, BHF
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
