tech2 Staff NewsFeb 08, 2021 20:14:41 IST
A new study has found that eating habits that are followed in childhood have a more lasting effect on adult life than previously thought. If a person ate foods high in fat and sugar when they were young, their gut midge is going to change for life. The study was conducted by researchers from UC Riverside and the results were published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The researchers tested the mice but the behavior of the animals is expected to be similar to that of a human child. It has been found that if a child follows a certain diet or eats certain antibiotics with little or no exercise during their critical developmental periods, the microbes in their gut can change and the baby can -this change will be for life.
The researchers saw the mice that were fed high in fat and sugar during childhood demonstrate the effects of their modified gut midges even six years after adolescence. Significant reductions were seen in both the total number and diversity of gut bacteria in these mature mice. Microorganisms refer to all microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that live on and inside a person or animal. These help guests break down the food and make chemicals needed for the breakdown. These microbes are also important in stimulating the immune system.
So, if foods rich in fat and sugar can permanently damage people’s midges, then even if a person changes healthy eating habits later in life, the body susceptible to disease.
The team conducted their research on four groups of mice. One group was fed the ‘healthy’ diet, while another received the less healthy ‘Western’ diet. The third group had access to a running wheel for exercise, and the fourth group was without.
UCR evolutionary physicist Theodore Garland, who was part of the study, said: “It’s not just what you eat, but what you ate as a child! ”