All articles tagged with #intergenerational effects
Originally Published 7 months ago — by The Washington Post
A 2023 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that more American mothers reported worse mental health compared to 2016, with declines across all sociodemographic groups, highlighting concerns about maternal and child health.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by ScienceAlert
A study conducted on female silkworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) at Monash University in Australia suggests that a mother's diet can affect the brain development and health of her offspring and subsequent generations. Researchers found that feeding the worms a molecule called ursolic acid, found in apples and herbs, resulted in increased levels of a specific fat called sphingosine-1-phosphate, which protected the axons of neurons in the brain from weakening. These metabolic changes were observed in the offspring and persisted for another generation. While the study was conducted on worms, it provides insights into how epigenetic changes might work across species and highlights the potential impact of a mother's diet on brain development.