Recent research from the University of California, Riverside, sheds new light on how a father’s diet can influence his child’s heart health. This study indicates that fathers who consume unhealthy, high-cholesterol diets may increase their daughters’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
This is the first study to show that paternal diet specifically affects female offspring. Previously, it was believed that sperm only transmitted genetic material during fertilization. However, new research suggests that factors like diet, environmental toxins, and stress can alter sperm RNA, affecting how traits are passed to the next generation.
Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences and the study’s lead author, emphasized the importance of a healthy diet for men planning to have children. He stated, “Men should consider adopting a low-cholesterol diet and reducing their CVD risk factors. These changes in diet appear to affect sperm and subsequently influence the health of their daughters. Our study suggests that this information is passed through sperm.”
The study focused on atherosclerosis, a condition where cholesterol builds up in the arteries, forming plaques. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, atherosclerotic CVD remains a leading cause of death and illness globally.
Researchers used a method called PANDORA-seq to analyze small RNA molecules in sperm. They found that these tiny RNA molecules, which regulate gene activity, are altered in mice fed a high-cholesterol diet. These changes can affect gene expression in early embryonic stem cells.
Zhou noted that while much research has focused on maternal factors affecting offspring health, paternal influences have not been as thoroughly investigated. He pointed out the challenges of studying paternal impacts on chronic diseases due to the complexity and resource demands of such experiments.
The study also explored why only female offspring were affected. Mice on a high-cholesterol diet developed hyperlipidemia, a condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke. When these mice were bred with female mice on a low-cholesterol diet, the offspring still showed 2-3 times more atherosclerosis compared to controls.
Zhou concluded, “Our study advances the understanding of how chronic diseases can be influenced by parental exposures. We hope these findings will encourage further research into how paternal factors affect offspring cardiovascular health in humans.”
