New research in the FASEB Journal shows that eating
a junk food diet during pregnancy changes the
development of the opioid signaling pathway in the
baby's brain, resulting in decreased sensitivity.
Here's another reason why a healthy diet during
pregnancy is critical to the future health of your
children: New research published in the March 2013
issue of The FASEB Journal, suggests that pregnant
mothers who consume junk food actually cause changes
in the development of the opioid signaling pathway
in the brains of their unborn children. This change
results in the babies being less sensitive to
opioids, which are released upon consumption of
foods that are high in fat and sugar. In turn, these
children, born with a higher "tolerance" to junk
food need to eat more of it to achieve a "feel good"
response.
"The results of this research will ultimately allow
us to better inform pregnant women about the lasting
effect their diet has on the development of their
child's lifelong good preferences and risk of
metabolic disease," said Beverly Muhlhausler, Ph.D.,
a researcher involved in the work from the FOODplus
Research Centre at the School of Agriculture Food
and Wine at The University of Adelaide in Adelaide,
Australia. "Hopefully, this will encourage mothers
to make healthier diet choices which will lead to
healthier children."
To make this discovery, Muhlausler and colleagues
studied the pups of two groups of rats, one of which
had been fed a normal rat food and the other which
had been fed a range of human "junk foods" during
pregnancy and lactation.
After weaning, the pups were given daily injections
of an opioid receptor blocker, which blocks opioid
signaling. Blocking opioid signaling lowers the
intake of fat and sugar by preventing the release of
dopamine.
Results showed that the opioid receptor blocker was
less effective at reducing fat and sugar intake in
the pups of the junk food fed mothers, suggesting
that the opioid signaling pathway in these offspring
is less sensitive than for pups whose mothers are
eating a standard rat feed.
"This study shows that addiction to junk food is
true addiction." said Gerald Weissmann, M.D.,
Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Junk food
engages the same body chemistry as opium, morphine
or heroin. Sad to say, junk food during pregnancy
turns the kids into junk food junkies."
For more information
Jessica R. Gugusheff, Zhi Yi Ong, and Beverly S.
Muhlhausler. A maternal "junk-food" diet reduces
sensitivity to the opioid antagonist naloxone in
offspring postweaning. FASEB J March 2013
27:1275-1284, doi:10.1096/fj.12-217653 ;
http://www.fasebj.org/content/27/3/1275.abstract
(MDN)
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