Adding too much fat and sugar to children's diets can alter their microbiome for life, a new study suggests. Even if they learn to eat healthier later, the earlier effects persist later in life, according to the researchers. This is one of the first researches to show a significant decrease in the total number andDiversity of intestinal bacteriain mature mice. As young animals they were fed unhealthy foods.
How important is nutrition in children for their intestinal flora?
The observed effect is equivalent to a western diet. With such a diet, the gut microbiome is still affected up to six years after puberty. The microbiome refers to all bacteria as well as parasites and viruses that live on and in a human or animal. Most of these microorganisms are found in the intestines and are helpful. They stimulate the immune system, break down food and help synthesize the most important vitamins. In a healthy body there is a balance between pathogenic and beneficial organisms. However, when the balance is disrupted either through the use of antibiotics, illness or unhealthy diet in children, the body can become vulnerable to disease. In this study, the research team examined the effects on the microbiome in mice. After 14 weeks of diets, the team examined the diversity and number of bacteria in the animals.
The researchers found that the amount of bacteria such as Muribaculum intestinale was significantly reduced in the Western diet group. This type of bacteria is involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The analysis also showed that gut bacteria are sensitive to the amount of exercise. Such gut bacteria increased in mice fed a standard diet with access to a running wheel. In the test animals on a high-fat diet, the number decreased, regardless of whether they exercised or not. Overall, the scientists found that the Western diet early in life has longer-lasting effects on the microbiome. Regardless of when the effects first appear, as the authors saythis studyreport, they observed this long after a change in diet and another change. They come to the conclusion that you are not only what you eat, but also what you ate as a child.
