A diet high in fat during pregnancy has been linked to higher chances of the child developing Alzheimers disease in later life.
A study was carried out on mice at the University of Southampton, and was led by Dr. Cheryl Hawkes.
The study found that the offspring of mice mothers who were fed a high fat diet during pregnancy, had less efficient blood vessels in the brain and were less able to clear amyloid, a hormone of which a build-up is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Research UK two day conference at the end of March.
However, mice and humans are very different, so further studies will have to be undertaken to determine if this has a similar effect on people.
This again has made the nutritional world even more complex, after it was recently thrown into disarray by a study suggesting that saturated fats aren’t actually as bad for us as we thought. (It is important to note however that one study does not give concrete proof, so don’t throw yourself at those burgers too quickly.)
The best thing to do with all the nutritional confusion is stick to a healthy, balanced diet, and get in as much exercise as possible.