By Stephen Beech via SWNS
Dads could pop a daily fish oil pill to stop their kids piling on the pounds, according to new research.
What a father-to-be eats and drinks has an influence on his child’s health, say scientists.
A new study of mice suggests a paternal fish oil supplement may lower the risk of obesity in his children.
The number of young people aged five to 19 who are clinically obese has risen from 31 million in 1990 to 160 million in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Piling on the pounds at a young age can increase the risk of serious health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – and may also lead to poor self-esteem and depression, say doctors.
To find out whether dads’ diets could influence the health of their children, American researchers fed male mice a high-fat diet with or without added fish oil.
They found that the offspring of the males who consumed fish oil had a lower body weight and showed better metabolic health than the offspring of fathers not supplemented with fish oil.
Study leader Dr. Latha Ramalingam said: “While further human studies are needed, this discovery opens a new frontier in our understanding of how parents, beyond just genetics, influence their offspring’s well-being.
“Fish oil, a readily available and safe supplement, could become a powerful weapon in our fight for a healthier next generation.”
The research team says it is the first study to examine inheritance patterns exclusively in the paternal line.
It builds on their previous work, which showed the benefits of fish oil supplementation in mothers for cutting the risk of childhood obesity.
The research team fed more than 140 male mice a high-fat diet either 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 offspring that were fed a low-fat healthy diet and fathered by males receiving fish oil weighed less at both seven and 21 days than offspring of the males not receiving fish oil.
Female offspring from males receiving fish oil also had improved metabolic health as measured by glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity.
Dr. Ramalingam, Assistant Professor in nutrition at Syracuse University in New York, said: “This concept offers a significant potential to reshape our strategies in combating childhood obesity.
“Picture a future where pre-conception dietary guidance isn’t solely directed at mothers, but also involves fathers, enabling them to play a more active role in promoting their children’s well-being right from the start.”
The research team is now studying the potential mechanisms through which dietary changes affect sperm.
The latest findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago.
