High- Protein Diet Associated with Reproductive Health of Next Generation

A new study on fruit flies has shown that diet of one generation affects the subsequent generation. Since fruit flies have biological pathways similar to humans, the research could have implications on human health as well.

Many studies have linked mothers' diet and obesity levels to fat levels of the babies. Previous research from Jerusalem suggested that children born to obese mothers are at greater risks of having health complications even during later stages of life. A recent study had found that obese grandmothers pass health risks to their grandchildren. Another study showed that obese mothers had babies with higher body fat levels.

The latest study was conducted by a scientist from The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) multi-institutional team who was working with an international team of researchers. The study was conducted on the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).

In the study, fruit flies were either fed a diet that was high in protein or sugars. Researchers found that females that were on protein diet had offsprings that had higher fecundity- ability to reproduce- than females who were kept on sugar-diet.

"We definitely saw a significant effect," said Dr. Luciano Matzkin, assistant professor and director of the graduate program in the UAH Department of Biological Sciences, according to a news release. "We saw that maternal larval diets higher in protein increased the overall fecundity of the adult mother, the number of eggs she produced, and also had a beneficial effect on the next generation, the F1 generation of offspring."

Interestingly, when the F1 generation was kept on high sugar diet, they didn't lose the beneficial effects of high protein diet received from their mothers.

Note that the mothers were fed the high protein or sugar diets when they were in larva stage. The study shows how an organism's diet, even in early life, can have an impact on its offspring.

Matzkin attributed the rise of metabolic disorders- diabetes, obesity- and asthma and allergies to the high-sugar diet of post-industrial era.

He added that the environment plays an important role in deciding human health. "Genes and how they interact with each other are influenced by the maternal environment. These environmental influences affect the turning on and off of genes, and how they interact with each other," said Dr. Matzkin.

The study is published in the journal PLOS One.