Unhealthy maternal diet increases diabetes risk in offspring

Individuals whose mothers ate a poor diet while they were pregnant may be significantly more likely to require a prescription to buy Actos later in life to treat type 2 diabetes. A high-fat maternal diet can cause changes in the way the body stores fat, which may increase the risk of chronic disease.

A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Leicester recently confirmed this effect in studies involving both mice and humans. Furthermore, the scientists were able to show that a high-fat maternal diet causes changes to the way the body stores fat thanks to a set of genetic alterations that occur.

Normally, excess calories would be stored in fat cells. However, individuals who have the gene variations identified by the study are more likely to store this excess energy by accumulating fat in the liver and in muscles, which increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The team recommended that more women exercise and eat right, both before and during their pregnancy. This may help them prevent their children from requiring a prescription to buy Actos.