Mom's diet can affect food choices and brain development in animals
By
Vitaly Kazakov
University of Toronto researchers have found that high-vitamin diets in pregnant rats can alter their offspring’s brain development and behaviour. The study raises questions about the effects of diets, fortification of foods with nutrients and the use of vitamin supplements on prenatal brain development.
The study looked at the effects of a high-vitamin A, D, E, and K diet during pregnancy on body weight gain, food intake and food preference in offspring. The results showed little effect on the rats’ weight gain and food intake, but their brain development and food preference were affected. For example, offspring showed changes in the brain dopamine system, which controls reward-seeking behaviour, and they had a decreased preference for sweetness.
"While this data provides novel information on the fundamental role of fat soluble vitamins in development in the rat brain, development stages are not the same as in the human,” said Harvey Anderson, the principal investigator on the study who is a Professor in the Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Physiology. “Nevertheless, it is clear we know little about the effect of vitamins when taken above requirements on brain development.”
