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Can pregnant women improve their progeny’s intelligence by eating fish? A study recently submitted to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and coordinated by the University of Granada professor Cristina Campoy Folgoso revealed that infants born to mothers who consumed more fish during pregnancy score higher in verbal intelligence and fine motor skill tests, and present an increased prosocial behavior.
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of maternal fish intake -as a source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids- on fetal development, and to determine how the different genotypes affect long-chain fatty acid concentrations in the fetus.Dr. Pauline Emmett (University of Bristol), Dr. Eva Lattka (Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health) and their research teams have determined how FADS gene cluster polymorphisms affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in women during pregnancy.Maternal GenotypesAccording to the researchers, fatty acid concentrations in umbilical cord blood depend on maternal and offspring genotypes. Accordingly, maternal genotypes are mainly related with omega-6 fatty acid precursors, and offspring genotypes are related with the more highly elongated fatty acids of the omega-6 series. The study also revealed that concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of the Omega-3 series -main component of brain cell membranes- depend on maternal and offspring genotypes. Dr Lattka states that “the fetal contribution of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-6 series is more relevant than expected; fetal DHA concentrations depend on maternal and fetal metabolism”, and concludes that “the amount of DHA transmitted to the fetus through the placenta might be crucial for fetal development”.In a previous study, this research team proved that fish intake during pregnancy is correlated with the IQ in 8-year old children. But, what causes that effect? The study revealed that fish intake is correlated with maternal blood DHA concentrations. However, it has not been clarified whether maternal DHA concentrations are directly correlated with the offspring’s IQ.
Can pregnant women improve their progeny’s intelligence by eating fish? A study recently submitted to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and coordinated by the University of Granada professor Cristina Campoy Folgoso revealed that infants born to mothers who consumed more fish during pregnancy score higher in verbal intelligence and fine motor skill tests, and present an increased prosocial behavior.
This study was conducted within the framework of the NUTRIMENTHE project (“Effect of diet on offspring’s cognitive development”), which received funding of 5.9 million Euros from the European 7th Framework Programme (7PM). This study was coordinated by the University of Granada professor Cristina Campoy Folgoso.Fish oil is the primary source of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the main component of brain cell membranes. The European Commission has confirmed and supports the healthy effects of DHA as “it contributes to the normal development of the brain and eye of the fetus and breastfed infants”.
Effects of Fish Intake
The NUTRIMENTHE project is focused on the effects that genetic variants and maternal fish intake have on the offspring’s intellectual capacity. The researchers mainly focused on polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster that encodes the delta-5 and delta-6 desaturase enzymes involved in the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids of the series omega-3 and omega-6.
The researchers collected blood samples from 2 000 women at 20 gestational weeks and from the umbilical cord of the infant at birth, and analyzed concentrations of long-chain fatty acids of the series omega-3 and omega-6. Then, they determined the genotype of 18 polymorphisms in the FADS gene cluster. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of maternal fish intake -as a source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids- on fetal development, and to determine how the different genotypes affect long-chain fatty acid concentrations in the fetus.
Dr. Pauline Emmett (University of Bristol), Dr. Eva Lattka (Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health) and their research teams have determined how FADS gene cluster polymorphisms affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in women during pregnancy.
Maternal Genotypes
According to the researchers, fatty acid concentrations in umbilical cord blood depend on maternal and offspring genotypes. Accordingly, maternal genotypes are mainly related with omega-6 fatty acid precursors, and offspring genotypes are related with the more highly elongated fatty acids of the omega-6 series. The study also revealed that concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of the Omega-3 series -main component of brain cell membranes- depend on maternal and offspring genotypes. Dr Lattka states that “the fetal contribution of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-6 series is more relevant than expected; fetal DHA concentrations depend on maternal and fetal metabolism”, and concludes that “the amount of DHA transmitted to the fetus through the placenta might be crucial for fetal development”.
In a previous study, this research team proved that fish intake during pregnancy is correlated with the IQ in 8-year old children. But, what causes that effect? The study revealed that fish intake is correlated with maternal blood DHA concentrations. However, it has not been clarified whether maternal DHA concentrations are directly correlated with the offspring’s IQ. The NUTRIMENTHE project –which is expected to conclude in 2013- is aimed at elucidating this question.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Taking Anti-Depressants During Pregnancy Increases Pulmonary Hypertension Risk In Newborns
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An investigation published on bmj.com reveals that children are more likely to be born with persistent pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) if the mother took anti-depressants during pregnancy. Persistent pulmonary hypertension is a rare, but severe disease associated to heart failure. The disease increases blood pressure in the lungs causing: shortness of breath dizziness fainting and difficulty breathing.
An investigation published on bmj.com reveals that children are more likely to be born with persistent pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) if the mother took anti-depressants during pregnancy. Persistent pulmonary hypertension is a rare, but severe disease associated to heart failure. The disease increases blood pressure in the lungs causing: shortness of breath dizziness fainting and difficulty breathing.
Friday, January 6, 2012
How poor maternal diet can increase risk of diabetes
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Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have shown one way in which poor nutrition in the womb can put a person at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other age-related diseases in later life. This finding could lead to new ways of identifying people who are at a higher risk of developing these diseases and might open up targets for treatment.
The team, from the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, publish their findings today (Friday 6 January) in the journal Cell Death and Differentiation.
The research shows that, in both rats and humans, individuals who experience a poor diet in the womb are less able to store fats correctly in later life. Storing fats in the right areas of the body is important because otherwise they can accumulate in places like the liver and muscle where they are more likely to lead to disease.
Professor Anne Willis of the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester explains "One of the ways that our bodies cope with a rich modern western diet is by storing excess calories in fat cells. When these cells aren't able to absorb the excess then fats get deposited in other places, like the liver, where they are much more dangerous and can lead to type 2 diabetes."
The team found that this process is controlled by a molecule called miR-483-3p. They found that miR-483-3p was produced at higher levels in individuals who had experienced a poor diet in their mother's wombs than those who were better nourished.
When pregnant rats were fed low protein diets their offspring had higher levels of miR-483-3p. This led to them developing smaller fat cells and left them less able to store fats in adulthood. These rats were less likely to get fat when fed a high calorie diet but were at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Rats are known to be a good model for studying human dietary diseases and the team also found that miR-483-3p was present in elevated levels in a group of people who were born with a low birth weight.
Dr Susan Ozanne, a British Heart Foundation Senior Fellow, who led the work at the University of Cambridge, adds "It has been known for a while that your mother's diet during pregnancy plays an important role in your adult health, but the mechanisms in the body that underlie this aren't well understood. We have shown in detail how one mechanism links poor maternal diet to diabetes and other diseases that develop as we age."
Dr Ozanne and Professor Willis and their team found that miR-483-3p works by suppressing a protein called GDF3. When they studied a group of adult humans who were born with a low birth weight, they found that GDF3 protein was present at around only thirty percent of the levels found in people born at a normal weight.
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Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have shown one way in which poor nutrition in the womb can put a person at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other age-related diseases in later life. This finding could lead to new ways of identifying people who are at a higher risk of developing these diseases and might open up targets for treatment.
The team, from the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, publish their findings today (Friday 6 January) in the journal Cell Death and Differentiation.
The research shows that, in both rats and humans, individuals who experience a poor diet in the womb are less able to store fats correctly in later life. Storing fats in the right areas of the body is important because otherwise they can accumulate in places like the liver and muscle where they are more likely to lead to disease.
Professor Anne Willis of the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester explains "One of the ways that our bodies cope with a rich modern western diet is by storing excess calories in fat cells. When these cells aren't able to absorb the excess then fats get deposited in other places, like the liver, where they are much more dangerous and can lead to type 2 diabetes."
The team found that this process is controlled by a molecule called miR-483-3p. They found that miR-483-3p was produced at higher levels in individuals who had experienced a poor diet in their mother's wombs than those who were better nourished.
When pregnant rats were fed low protein diets their offspring had higher levels of miR-483-3p. This led to them developing smaller fat cells and left them less able to store fats in adulthood. These rats were less likely to get fat when fed a high calorie diet but were at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Rats are known to be a good model for studying human dietary diseases and the team also found that miR-483-3p was present in elevated levels in a group of people who were born with a low birth weight.
Dr Susan Ozanne, a British Heart Foundation Senior Fellow, who led the work at the University of Cambridge, adds "It has been known for a while that your mother's diet during pregnancy plays an important role in your adult health, but the mechanisms in the body that underlie this aren't well understood. We have shown in detail how one mechanism links poor maternal diet to diabetes and other diseases that develop as we age."
Dr Ozanne and Professor Willis and their team found that miR-483-3p works by suppressing a protein called GDF3. When they studied a group of adult humans who were born with a low birth weight, they found that GDF3 protein was present at around only thirty percent of the levels found in people born at a normal weight.
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