A pregnant woman's diet, particularly one high in fat, can increase a baby’s risk for diseases later in life, such as diabetes.
A new study from the University of Illinois focuses on whether high-fat diets pave the way for certain diseases like diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers.
“Traditional genetics says that you inherit a sequence from your parents. Epigenetics says you can inherit these other changes to the DNA, as well," aid Laura Moody, a doctoral student who worked on the study. "We wanted to show these changes are easily altered, even after this critical period. You can still change that epigenome later in life.”
They concluded that a pregnant woman can pass on DNA patterns based on what they eat, putting their babies in danger.
However, that can be changed by switching the baby to a low-fat diet.
A person’s epigenome can be reversed based on what you eat, whether you exercise, and even where you live.