New York: Eating unhealthy foods early in life leave lasting brain and feeding changes but gut bacteria can help restore healthy eating, new University College Cork (UCC) research study has found.
A high-fat, high-sugar diet during the early life period can cause long-lasting changes in how the brain regulates eating, even when the unhealthy diet is stopped and body weight is normalised, the researchers at APC Microbiome, a leading research institute, at UCC discovered.
Children today are growing up in food environments saturated with high-fat, high-sugar options that are readily accessible and heavily promoted. From birthday parties and school celebrations to sporting events and even as rewards for good behaviour, these foods have become a routine part of childhood experiences.
This new research highlights the long-term impact of this early exposure, demonstrating that frequent consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods in childhood can shape preferences and establish unhealthy eating patterns that persist well into adulthood.
Published in Nature Communications, the study also demonstrates that microbiota-targeted interventions, including a specific strain of beneficial gut bacteria or prebiotic fibres, naturally present in foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus and bananas, and widely available in fortified foods and prebiotic supplements), could help prevent these effects when administered throughout life.
“Our findings show that what we eat early in life really matters.” said Dr Cristina Cuesta-Marti, first author of the study.
