Share:
Paternal nutrition with effects on the mental fitness of the offspring
Dietary supplements have been growing in popularity for years. Some of them are classified as rogue by health experts, others are recommended. But too much of it should not be consumed - especially by budding fathers. Because the excessive consumption of certain funds can obviously have a negative effect on the mental fitness of the offspring, as scientists have now found out.
Health risks from dietary supplements
Dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular. Some of these, according to experts, are very useful, but some have serious deficiencies that can lead to health problems. For example, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) warned against Red Rice supplements last year. US scientists have also pointed to potential health risks from such products. German researchers are now alerting to another potential danger. Thus, the excessive consumption of some dietary supplements across generations could have undesirable effects.
Researchers were able to show in animal experiments that the paternal nutrition affects the mental abilities of the offspring. Even in humans, a high consumption of dietary supplements could affect the descendants. (Image: Gina Sanders / fotolia.com) Lifestyles of the father influence the cognitive abilities of the offspring
The lifestyle of the father influences the cognitive abilities of the offspring - at least in mice, reports the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases e. V. (DZNE) in a recent communication.
Accordingly, DZNE scientists have been able to show that offspring of male rodents fed a diet rich in folic acid, methionine and vitamin B12 show relatively poor results in memory tests.
The diet affects so-called epigenetic patterns of the genome and this reprogramming is partially transmitted via the sperm to the next generation.
An indication that the intake of high concentrations of such methyl donors in humans - for example, by the excessive consumption of energy drinks or folic acid tablets - may have side effects.
The researchers published their findings in the journal "Molecular Psychiatry".
Impact on the child's development
That the lifestyle of the parents can have an impact on the offspring has been shown in numerous scientific studies.
In a study with mice, American researchers found that a high-fat diet of the father can negatively affect the metabolism of the offspring.
In animal experiments, there is a general increase in the evidence that not only the mother's diet and circumstances before fertilization, but also the environmental factors to which the father is exposed, influence the development of the child.
For example, putting male rodents on a high-fat diet will give their offspring a predisposition to developing diabetes. One possible cause of such phenomena is dietary changes in the DNA methylation of the paternal DNA.
These are small chemical appendages that rely on the genetic material and control the activity of the genes. Providing such methyl appendages in excessively large amounts through food may influence the activity of affected genes through changes in DNA methylation.
Effects of Methyl Rich Food
"For a long time, it was assumed that such paternal epigenetic markers would be deleted during the fusion of the sperm and the egg," explains Dr. Dan Ehninger, research group leader at the DZNE in Bonn.
In the meantime one knows however: Part of the paternal methylations survives this process. Ehninger's research group has now examined together with fellow researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) whether this epigenetic information is also noticeable at the cognitive level.
To this end, the scientists put male mice on a diet that was rich in methyl donors and cofactors for the methyl metabolism: This diet showed elevated levels of methionine, folic acid, vitamin B12, choline, betaine and zinc.
A second group of male rodents got a standard diet. After six weeks, the mice were mated with females and the offspring carefully examined.
Less learning
It was found that the offspring of the father fed with methyl-donors scored poorer in all learning and memory tests.
"Already a temporary change in the paternal diet can cause the offspring to develop a decreased learning ability. This was especially evident in the navigation test. The spatial memory was impaired, "says Ehninger.
There were irregularities not only in the behavior of the animals but also in their brains: In the hippocampus - a brain region important for memory - the nerve connections reacted only comparatively sluggishly to electrical stimuli.
An indication that their adaptability - the so-called neuronal plasticity - was reduced. The gene "Kcnmb2", which influences this ability, was also downregulated.
Adverse consequences due to excessive consumption of dietary supplements
Although all of this is only the result of animal experiments, but also people can be exposed to high methyl donor doses, says Ehninger. This applies in particular to countries such as the US, where the intake of folic acid-enriched products is widespread.
"It is well documented that a lack of methyl donor can have harmful consequences that can be easily and effectively prevented by appropriate nutritional supplementation. Our study suggests, however, that in principle, even excessive consumption can have adverse consequences, "explains the scientist.
In the future, he wants to investigate whether epigenetic imprints in humans are passed on to the offspring and find out which environmental factors influence them.
Does the father's age change the methylation pattern of DNA, thereby shaping next-generation health? One thing is clear to Ehninger: "So far, such epigenetic mechanisms of inheritance have certainly received too little attention." (Ad)