What a mother eats before she becomes pregnant can affect a child’s DNA, says a study recently published in Nature Communications.


What a mother eats before she becomes pregnant can affect a child’s DNA, says a study recently published in Nature Communications.

Researchers found that dietary choices influenced whether certain genes are turned off or on, resulting in a permanent impact on the child.

This occurrence has been observed in mice, where it’s been determined that what the mother eats during pregnancy influences the color of her offspring’s fur, but this is the first time it’s been seen in humans.

The study was carried out in Gambia during two distinct time frames – the peak of the rainy season and the height of the dry one.

Nutrient levels of the mothers were assessed at the time of conception, and the DNA of their babies was analyzed within a few months of birth.

Scientists found that the children conceived during those two periods had different DNA tags on six specific genes, and were able to link them to various vitamins.

How that will play out in the longer term is unknown, but said one of the researchers, "Can diet affect other genes? What's the biological impact of those DNA modifications? At the moment we don't know the answer to those questions. But subsequent research we have — and haven't yet published — says it does matter."