Just recently scientists from the University of Illinois have published a new study in the well known Journal of Physiology. The study shows beyond any doubt that a very high fat diet during the pregnancy months can have a serious impact on the baby’s health and sets the foundation of future obesity. The study shows that it’s irrelevant whether the pregnant woman is herself obese or has any history of diabetes related conditions.

Professor Yuan-Xiang Pan of Illinois University found in his studies that a diet too high in fat during the pregnancy months will modify gene expression in the child’s liver and therefore make the liver more prone to produce high quantities of glucose. This in turn is likely to induce an insulin resistance and diabetes. Furthermore, the study shows that the high fat diet that is causing these changes in the child’s liver  is in fact a typical diet these days containing little above 40% fat.

Thanks to the new study and the fact that epigenetic marks are very easy to observe, scientists hope this will increase the chances to detect and diagnose children born with this tendency and help keep their blood sugar balanced and thus avoid developing diabetes later on  in their life. The study confirms that diet alone is responsible for this propensity towards insulin resistance and the liver’s production of high quantities of glucose. Therefore adjusting the diet would be enough to help prevent them.

Unfortunately there is still little known about how to genetically reverse the baby’s tendency towards diabetes, but keeping close attention to diet and blood sugar should be enough to keep the baby healthy and safe from developing diabetes over time.

One thing made clear by this study is of course the fact that women should stay on a balanced diet during the pregnancy months. Avoiding fat meat and foods rich in saturated fat is very important as it is to avoid too much pastries and to much desserts. However, it is very important that a pregnant woman has a proper omega fatty acids intake which will help in the development of the child’s brain. Some varieties of fish, whole grain bread and eggs are essential to a healthy diet during pregnancy.  Women should ask a nutritionist for help if they want to find out more about what is healthy in terms of  food for both the mother and the baby during pregnancy.