Fathers who consume fish oil supplements can help reduce the risk of obesity among children, said researchers after a study in mice.
The study by researchers
at Syracuse University in the US, suggests a simple dietary change, in the form
of a fish oil supplement taken by fathers, to help address the rising health
concern.
The team’s previous
study demonstrated the benefits of fish oil supplementation in mothers for
reducing childhood obesity risk.
The new study with about
150 mice showed that male mice who consumed fish oil supplements had offspring
with lower body weight and showed better metabolic health than those without
it.
Latha Ramalingam,
Assistant Professor in Nutrition at Syracuse University shared that the study
shows "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," she added.
According to data from
the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of young people ages 5 to 19
who are obese has risen from 31 million in 1990 to 160 million in 2022. Obesity
is a major risk factor for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
and may also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.
Further, the study
showed that mice offspring that were fed a low-fat healthy diet and fathered by
males receiving fish oil weighed less at 7 and 21 days than offspring of the
males not receiving fish oil.
"This concept
offers a significant potential to reshape our strategies in combating childhood
obesity," said Ramalingam.
The findings will be
presented at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American
Society for Nutrition held June 29-July 2 in Chicago.
No comments:
Post a Comment