Does a father's diet have an impact on the health of offspring?

Previous studies have discovered that a mouse father’s diet can have an impact not only on his reproductive health but on that of his offspring. Over- or under-feeding male mice can affect their offspring’s metabolism and behaviour, as well as their risk of cancer. However, the various health impacts on offspring, depending on the type and composition of the diet of male mice before conception, are not well understood.

In the study, researchers from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre in Australia fed male mice one of ten diets differing in the proportions of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, then allowed them to mate with females reared on the standard diet. The behaviour and physiology of the offspring were then studied.

Researchers discovered that male mice who were fed low protein and high carbohydrate diets were more likely to have male offspring with higher levels of anxiety. They also found that male mice who were fed high-fat diets were more likely to have daughters with higher levels of body fat and markers of metabolic disease. The team also observed that males on a low-protein diet consumed more food overall.

“Our study shows that the type of diet eaten before conception can program specific characteristics of the next generation. It is extraordinary that by titrating mixtures of protein, fat and carbs in the father’s diet, we could influence specific features of his sons and daughters health and behaviour. Further, our study showed that it’s not just eating too much or too little, but the composition of the diet that can have an impact on future children,” said the study authors.

Reference: Crean, A.J., Senior, A.M., Freire, T. et al. Paternal dietary macronutrient balance and energy intake drive metabolic and behavioral differences among offspring. Nat Commun 15, 2982 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46782-y