A study published in the journal Nature Cell Biology concluded that women’s diet during pregnancy can affect not only the brains of their children but also those of their grandchildren. Indeed, using genetic models, researchers at Monash University (Australia) have discovered that certain foods could prevent the deterioration of brain functions.
Certain foods have beneficial effects for unborn children… and their descendants
L’ursolic acid is a molecule known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is naturally present in apples and some aromatic herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage). According to experiments carried out on female roundworms, ursolic acid has a beneficial effect on neuronal transport of their descendants.
Scientists have also discovered that ursolic acid activates a gene that produces a specific type of fat: sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). This sphingolipid would protect the neurons and the axons. This lipid would thus help to slow down the destruction of axons and brain degeneration. And according to researchers, S1P could travel from the mother’s intestines to eggs in the uterus.
“This is the first time that it has been demonstrated that a lipid is hereditary“said Professor Roger Pocock, lead author of the study, in a communicated. “Additionally, feeding the mother with sphingolipid protects the axons of the next two generations. This means that a mother’s diet can affect not only the brains of her offspring, but also potentially subsequent generations. Our work supports healthy eating during pregnancy“.
Note that the researchers used roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) as a genetic model. They are regularly used in biology due to biological processes similar to human beings. The promising results observed in this organism remain to be confirmed in humans.
Source :
An intestinal sphingolipid confers intergenerational neuroprotection, Nature Cell Biology, 03/08/2023
