The studies done with the help of rats suggest that the weight, diet, and health of the father at the moment of conception may influence the health of the child. The studies show that if the father mice have been obese, diabetic, and had a high fat diet, the offspring had alterations in their fat and pancreas metabolic tissues.
The Results
The fact that these genes have been altered may increase the risks of premature aging and obesity. There were some other genes affected as well, such as the markers of cancer, chronic degenerative disease, and premature aging.
The Study
Although the purpose of the scientists has been to find a link between the diet of the mother and the child’s health, the study offers some new and exciting information about the effect that the father’s diet can have on the obesity risks of the child.
Results
The specialists have found that similar markers have been affected. This means that the same pathways are affected starting with the earliest stages of life. It is important for the specialists to follow up with other researchers in order to find a way to reduce the effects of the poor health of the fathers.
Rats
In order to reach their conclusions, the specialists divided the rats into two groups. One of the groups was made of obese and diabetic rats that received a diet high in fat. The rats in the other group have been healthy and they received a normal and healthy diet.
Mix and Match
These male rats mated with healthy and lean female rats and it has been the female offspring that the specialists were the most interested in. The rats that were born to an unhealthy and fat father showed problems in adapting to the glucose challenges even if they had a healthy diet.
Conclusions
The offspring presented alterations in their pancreatic genes which are responsible for producing insulin that would control the fat tissue of the female offspring and the blood sugar levels. The specialists have known for a long time that the diet and the health of the mother have a lot to do with the health of the child. However, they would have thought that the health of the father wasn’t that significant.
All this means that it’s not only the mother who has to be careful with her health for the health of the baby, but the father as well.
