Hyderabad: People are aware of the importance of consuming a nutritious diet, especially while pregnant. Our metabolism is drastically impacted by a high-fat diet. It can cause obesity, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and in some cases, even cancer. In previous studies, researchers have discovered that eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy affects the baby's metabolism and taste preferences. It is a common practice for both parents and kids to eat the same meals in most households.
To be precise, mothers who eat a lot of fat will give their kids foods with high-fat content. A study published in the Scientific Reports, which was conducted by researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), revealed the effects of high-fat diets throughout pregnancy and early life on the offspring.
A rat model was used to examine the impact of exposing two generations (a pregnant woman and a baby) to a high-fat diet and taste preferences. Pregnant female rats or the ones who were nursing were given a high-fat diet, and a control group was given the typical diet. After weaning, the newborns who consumed a high-fat diet during pregnancy continued to consume high-fats, and the ones that consumed standard diets during pregnancy continued with the standard diet respectively.
Also read: Cooking pollutes your home and increases your health risks but better ventilation will help
The younger rats belonging to the high-fat diet group gained more weight and consumed more energy than the ones from the standard diet groups. Takashi Ono, a senior author, said that they wondered if the different diets had affected the taste preferences of the rats. According to Ono, it is well-established that taste impacts food intake. If something tastes good, the brain reward circuits are activated, and you will likely eat more of it.
A test was conducted for the rats' preference for the five basic tastes: bitter, sour, sweet, salty and umami, with the help of a two-bottle challenge where two bottles, one with water and the other one with water with taste attached to the rat cage. Rats exposed to a high-fat diet during gestation preferred salty water. In comparison to the standard-diet group, these rats showed no specific preference for other tastes.
To understand the mechanisms that underlie this preference, researchers investigated the levels of proteins involved in the perception of salty taste. Saranya Serirukchutarungsee, a lead author of the study, explained that the protein and gene expression of AT1 increased in the taste buds of female offspring exposed to a high-fat diet, and this happened as early as three weeks after birth. According to Saranya AT1 is known to be associated with a preference for salty taste and evidence suggests that it is likely that AT1 affects the salty taste preference by increasing sodium intake in taste bud cells.
Considering the strong links between poor diet and poor health is vital to better understanding the programming of offspring's eating behaviour and taste preferences. The findings of this study might help provide a lead in further studies aimed at reducing the risk of developing obesity and diet-linked diseases such as cardiovascular diseases in offspring and subsequent generations. (With Agency Inputs)
