Men's Osteoporosis Support Group

Intrauterine high fat diet's effect on metabolic problems and osteoporosis in mice offspring

Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2009 Sep 11. [Epub ahead of print]. Intrauterine exposure to high saturated fat diet elevates risk of adult-onset chronic diseases in C57BL/6 mice. Liang C, Oest ME, Prater MR. PMID: 19750488. This is another study in lab animals, although I prefer to report on human research. But the findings are so interesting and pertinent that I want to discuss this article along with a sister article below by the same research group apparently done on the same lab animals.

The authors used C57BL/6 mice to test the effect of a gestational high saturated fat diet (HFD) and elevated oxidative stress on the offspring. The results showed, ". . . that adult offspring of dams fed HFD during pregnancy exhibited adult hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, obesity, and hypertension, despite being fed healthy standard rodent chow throughout postnatal life. These offspring also showed significantly lower femoral epiphyseal average bone mineral density (ABMD) at 6 months of age, and dysregulation of distal femoral trabecular architecture at 12 months of age, characteristic of osteoporosis." If the dam was supplemented with the antioxidant quercetin during pregnancy it reduced the severity of the effects noted previously. The authors concluded, "Collectively, these data suggest that offspring of dams who consume a diet rich in saturated fats during pregnancy are at increased risk of adult-onset chronic disease. Additionally, these chronic diseases were determined to be in-part OS-mediated, and preventable by increasing a prenatal dietary antioxidant; this knowledge offers both a putative mechanism of disease pathogenesis and suggests a potential preventive strategy"

Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2009 Sep 11. [Epub ahead of print]. Gestational high saturated fat diet alters C57BL/6 mouse perinatal skeletal formation. Liang C and others. PMID: 19750487.

This aspect of the research examined specifically the effects on the skeletal system from the same diet as above of 32% saturated fat given for one month before conception and throughout gestation. This resulted in, ". . . a marked reduction in late-gestation fetal skeletal developmental delay that included shorter long bone lengths, decreased average bone mineral density (ABMD; 20%), lower total bone volume (TBV; 45%), and shorter crown-to-rump length (C-R; 12%), as compared to controls." The authors suggest the skeletal damage is induced by oxidative stress related to the high fat diet which causes placental labyrinthine vascular damage and impaired fetal signaling pathways associated with osteogenesis. Once again, this theory is supported by the protective effect of the quercetin if given during gestation.

Editor's comments. What is really impressive and scary about these results is the permanent damage to the offspring caused by the HFD during pregnancy. That is, there was no apparent way to negate the effects of the gestational diet by a healthy diet after offspring were born. It is impossible to use this research to draw the causal conclusion that similar effects would obtain in humans. But it is also enticing to correlate the current state of health, especially of Americans, to the onset of the fast food industry in the U.S. I have heard it called an epidemic of metabolic syndrome that affects Americans and others in the western world. Specifically, obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and hypertension fit into that category. As well we are told that osteoporosis is a serious problem affecting Americans.

The fast food industry really started growing in the 1950s and 1960s as Americans started substituting fast food for home-cooked meals. And it has continued to mushroom in the following years. Fast food doesn't just mean that which is prepared in restaurants, but I include commercially prepared foods that require little or no preparation time by the user. These items fill our grocery and convenience stores and make up a big part of many people's diet. This 2003 study by Kant and Graubard showed a high percentage of Americans' meals were commercially prepared. Additionally TV and other marketing campaigns are a big part of selling foods to children and adults. This 2008 study by Batada A and others, found that nine out of 10 food advertisements shown during Saturday morning children's television programming are for foods high in fat, sodium, or added sugars, or low in nutrients. One could assume that the marketing to adults is for similar foods.

To see quite clearly what has happened to Americans in the years following the fast food revolution see this U.S. map demonstration of the increase in obesity state by state since 1985. Click on the link, then quickly scroll down to the map to watch the demonstration that shows in 1985 there were only eight states reporting obesity rates of 10-14%. In 2008 all but one state reported at least 20-24% obesity with most reporting 25-29% and six states reporting greater than 30%.

If the results of the two Liang studies apply to humans, it is easy to see why the obesity rates keep skyrocketing. The offspring of women who ate a high fat, fast food type diet during pregnancy would have been relegated to a lifetime of problems, especially obesity, and metabolic syndrome-like effects. Additionally, skeletal issues could be expected, including osteoporosis, which might not become apparent until these offspring become seniors.

Similar studies should be conducted on humans to verify if the results from mice carry over to human offspring. If so, pregnant women should be warned of the negative effects of a HFD and apprised of the importance of maintaining a low-fat diet during pregnancy, and/or the potential to offset those negative effects with antioxidants, if proven safe for the offspring. At the minimum a retrospective study of individuals with metabolic syndrome could be conducted to see if they are likely to be the offspring of mothers who ate a HFD during pregnancy.

I want to repeat that it is conjecture on my part to relate the Liang and others studies to human problems that the mice offspring had. But the relationship is easy to imagine, especially with the aid of the map of obesity trends in U.S. adults since 1985. Only time will tell if it is true.

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