Study: Link between childhood obesity and a mother’s diet before and during pregnancy
Research done at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has highlighted a link between childhood obesity and a mother’s diet before and during pregnancy. The work in animals proves that overweight expectant mothers are more likely to have babies with more body fat, who are at greater risk of diabetes and lipid metabolic disorders later in life. Previous research shows that around 30 percent of women who become pregnant are overweight…

The research, published in the journal of Endocrinology, shows pups from obese mother rats who were fed more milk are almost twice as heavy as those born to lean mothers with a regular milk consumption at weaning age. The cafeteria diet used to feed the mother rats is designed to approximate a western diet which people eat everyday at home. It is of high fat content, and palatable with a lot of variety. The research found that the mother rats ate more than double the calories of the control group. Professor Morris commented:
The work also highlighted for the first time, different impacts of pre and postnatal overfeeding on fat accumulation, circulating lipid levels, glucose metabolism, and brain appetite regulators. In a separate paper, the same UNSW research group found that animals that were slightly undernourished in their early life had a head start on health. The research, which is to be published in the International Journal of Obesity, also shows that pups that were undernourished remained lighter as adults, while those that were over-fed as babies continued to be fatter as adults. Professor Morris also commented:
“The less milk the babies had – and the lighter they were – the higher were levels of a hormone which is known to be protective of cardiovascular disease. We know that undernutrition has an effect on longevity and this research seems to support this.”
Another similar research from the University of Cincinnati and the Medical College of Georgia published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that pregnant women should think twice about high-fat foods. Scientists found that female mice fed high fat diets were more likely to have oversized offspring (a risk factor for overweight and obesity) because fat causes the placenta to go into “overdrive” by providing too many nutrients to the fetus. Helen N. Jones, Ph.D., first author of the study has commented:
“Our model may one day lead to dietary recommendations for mothers who are entering pregnancy overweight or obese. We hope this research will ultimately help reduce the number of babies suffering from birth injuries, decrease C-section rates, and lower the risk of babies becoming overweight or obese later in life.”
Yet another interesting study published in the journal of Paediatrics, suggests that a child’s weight may be influenced by his mother even before he is actually born. Results of the study, which included more than 3,000 children, suggest that a child is far more likely to be overweight at a very young age – at 2 or 3 years old – if his mother was overweight or obese before she became pregnant. And there’s a good chance that an overweight child will stay overweight for the rest of his or her life.
A mother’s weight within a month or two before she became pregnant had the greatest impact on a child’s weight at all three weight measurement points. If a woman was overweight before she became pregnant, her child was as much as three times more likely to be overweight by age 7 compared to a child whose mother was not overweight or obese. There was a significant relationship between a mother’s weight prior to pregnancy and her child’s weight. The risk that a child would be overweight at a young age increased with the degree of the mother’s obesity.
Pamela Salsberry, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of nursing at Ohio State University commented:
“Weight persists with time, so a child who is overweight by her second birthday is more likely to be overweight at a later age. Prevention of childhood obesity needs to begin before a woman ever gets pregnant. Obesity continues to rise in adults, and that risk has increased in children, too. Interventions should begin immediately for children who are already overweight at these young ages.”
Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including: hypertension, osteoarthritis (breakdown of cartilage and its underlying bone in a joint), dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers.
Adopted from articles from Science Daily
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“Maternal obesity and overfeeding early on in life caused significant changes in the chemicals that regulate appetite, which may suggest that the babies were programmed to eat differently from those born from lean mothers. Appetite is controlled by particular centres within the brain. Other research in this field suggests that maternal food preferences during pregnancy can affect the food preferences of offspring. As brain control of appetite is likely set early in life, nutrient availability in the fetal or early post-natal period may contribute to adult obesity.”
Study: Mum’s vitamin D during pregnancy strengthens kid’s teeth
Higher intakes of vitamin D during pregnancy may lead to stronger teeth in children, according to researchers from University of Manitoba, Canada.
High blood levels of vitamin D, related milk consumption and prenatal vitamin use, were associated with lower incidence of caries in the children, according to research presented at the International Association for Dental Research meeting in Toronto, Canada. This study shows for the first time that maternal vitamin-D levels may have an influence on the primary dentition and the development of early-childhood-caries.
Vitamin D is produced in the body on exposure to sunlight. Dietary sources of vitamin D provide relatively low doses. In the US, where over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, experts are pushing supplements, claiming recommendations for sun exposure are “highly irresponsible”.
New findings: the study
Schroth and co-workers recruited 206 pregnant women during their second trimester, and assessed dietary habits using questionnaires. Blood samples were taken in order to measure vitamin D levels.
The average 25(OH)D blood level was 48.1 nanomoles per litre, while 34.5 per cent of the women were vitamin D deficient, defined as levels 35 nmol/L or less. Only 10.5 per cent of the women had adequate levels of vitamin D, defined as levels of 25(OH)D of at least 80 nmol/L.
Just over 33 per cent of the infants, examined at an average age of 16.1 months, were found to early childhood caries. The mothers of these children were found to have significantly lower 25(OH)D levels than mothers of caries-free children (43.9 versus 52.8 nmol/L, respectively).
According to the American Dental Association, early childhood caries are defined as “the presence of one or more decayed (non-cavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool-age child between birth and 71 months of age.”
The study was funded by Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, Manitoba-Institute-of-Child-Health, Dentistry-Canada-Fund, University of Manitoba, and Dairy Farmers of Canada.
Vitamin D and babies
A study from the University of Southampton (The Lancet, 2006, Vol 367, pp 36-43) reported that higher intake of vitamin D during late-stage pregnancy was linked to stronger bones in children.
Another study that was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2006 (Vol. 174, pp. 1273-1277), reported that women with low milk consumption during pregnancy had lighter babies, an association linked to the vitamin D content of the milk.
Source: International Association for Dental Research, 4 July 2008, Abstract # 1646, “Influence of maternal vitamin D status on infant oral health”, Authors: R. Schroth, C. Lavelle, M.E. Moffatt
Herbalife Solution
Herbalife offers the following products that contain the sufficient amounts of vitamin D, when taken in combination, to combat the risks associated with deficiency of Vitamin D:
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XtraCal – Calcium supplement, our special formula that is loaded with the most concentrated form of Calcium available and it also contains Vitamin D (15% EC RDA), essential for calcium absorption.
Also, view Vitamin D related article: Study: Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk of Breast Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: sunlight or supplements?
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Science stacks up for B vitamins and its supplementation, especially during pregnancy….
B Vitamins are essential nutrients required for the successful generation of energy in many of the Krebs Cycle’s energy production pathways and Oxidative Phosphorylation. Several researches done on B Vitamins suggest it’s defficiency in modern diet and need for supplementation.
Vitamin B6
Researchers at Tufts University have suggested deficient vitamin B6 levels across large sections of the US population, which could be reduced via supplementation. The study identified four groups as being particularly deficient in the nutrient, among which are especially women of reproductive age, particularly current and former users of oral contraceptives, male smokers & and over-65s.
“Across the study population, we noticed participants with inadequate vitamin B6 status even though they reported consuming more than the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin B6, which is less than two milligrams per day,” said Martha Savaria Morris, PhD, an epidemiologist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts.
Vitamin B6 has been linked to heart health and immune system function and is important for red blood cell performance. Deficiencies can cause anaemia.
The RDAs for vitamin B6 in men and women who are not pregnant or lactating are 1.3mg per day for men and women ages 19-50; 1.7mg per day for men over 50 and 1.5mg for women over age 50.
The latest Dutch research suggests that low maternal vitamin B12 levels in combination with certain genes may have detrimental knock-on effects to the offspring, suggesting in additon higher risk of heart problems.
A combination of low vitamin B12 levels and certain genotypes for the methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) and transcobalamin II (TC) genes were found to increase the risk of CHD by about 35 and 100 per cent, respectively, report the researchers in the journal Molecular Genetics and Metabolism.
“Therefore, it might be favorable to advise women to use a diet rich in vitamin B12 and eventually a vitamin B12 supplement in addition to a folic acid supplement in the periconception period to achieve an optimal vitamin B12 status,” wrote Anna Verkleij-Hagoort from Erasmus MC, University Medical Center in Rotterdam.
Vitamin B12 and Cardiovascular link
The research builds on reports from epidemiological studies that increased levels of the amino acid homocysteine may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moreover, high levels of the amino acids in mothers has been associated with congenital heart defects (CHDs) in the offspring, state the authors in background information in the article. However, low blood levels of vitamin B12 in the mothers and in combination the maternal or child’s MTRR 66 GG genotype were found to increase the risk be 40 and 30 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, a TC 776 GG genotype in mothers and children and low maternal vitamin B12 levels increased the risks of CHD by 120 and 90 per cent, respectively, wrote the authors.
“In conclusion, MTRR 66 GG and TC 776 GG genotypes in mothers and children may contribute to the risk of CHDs, particularly when the maternal vitamin B12 status is low,” wrote Verkleij-Hagoort.
Vitamin B6 and pre-conception & early pregnancy link
The importance of B vitamins, particularly folate, in foetal development is well established. The new study expands our understanding of the potential of pre-conception diets to influence the health of offspring.
Earlier this year an epidemiological study report that high levels of vitamin B6 prior to falling pregnant may boost conception rates and reduce the odds of losing the baby during early pregnancy (American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 166, pp 304-312).
Additionally, a recent study with sheep, published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicated that mothers with low B vitamin levels before conceiving tend to have fatter male offspring at greater risk of high blood pressure.
The findings were deemed to be important for species with two legs, since the pre- and post-natal development of sheep is approximately the same as humans.
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The following products are recommended to boost B Vitamins intake, preferably in combination:
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Cell Activator is an exceptionally powerful formula supplying the body with special nutrients, B Vitamins and a combination of botanical factors. This remarkable formula helps maintain vitality and good health and, used daily, can contribute to your well being. Physical and mental stress use up B Vitamins, ofter resulting in fatigue and poor concentration. This supplement not only helps to optimise the way your body uses its daily nutrient stores, but also maximise specific nutrients which busy lifestyle can deplete. Read more…
Molecular Genetics and Metabolism (Elsevier), Published online ahead of print 15 January 2008, doi:10.1016/j.ymgme.2007.12.002, “Genetic and lifestyle factors related to the periconception vitamin B12 status and congenital heart defects: A Dutch case-control study”, Authors: A.C. Verkleij-Hagoort, L.M.J.W. van Driel, J. Lindemans, A. Isaacs, E.A.P. Steegers, W.A. Helbing, A.G. Uitterlinden and R.P.M. Steegers-Theunissen
Babies hooked on junk food in the womb, by Daily Mail Online
Mothers-to-be who gorge on junk food may be more likely to give birth to a child with a sweet tooth, research shows.
The study, one of the first of its kind, suggests that a mother’s diet during pregnancy, and even when breastfeeding, can affect her unborn child’s taste for foods.
Researchers warned that women who use pregnancy as an excuse to indulge in fatty foods when “eating for two” may be inadvertently putting their children at risk of obesity in later life.
The finding comes as Britain fights the worst weight problem in Europe with almost a quarter of adults classed as obese. Child obesity rates have trebled over the last 20 years, with 10 per cent of six-year-olds and 17 per cent of 15-year-olds now obese.
By 2050, half of all primary school-age boys and a fifth of girls could be so overweight that their health is at serious risk.
Experts have warned that unless the Government acts now, an entire generation faces an old age blighted by heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases brought on by obesity, with today’s children dying at a younger age than their parents.
The latest research suggests that some of the roots of obesity can be traced back to the first days of life, with exposure to fatty and salty foods in the womb and through breastmilk having long-lasting effects on the development of those parts of the brain that control appetite.
Read full story at Daily Mail Online
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Xtra-Cal – Calcium Supplement Tablets plus Vitamins, additional Minerals and Herbs
Xtra-Cal is loaded with the most concentrated form of Calcium available and can assist in the prevention of Osteoporosis. Several other specially chosen vitamins, minerals and herbs have been included to benefit skeletal health by providing nourishment for the bones.

It is possible that by the time you are 50, you may have lost as much as 25% of your bone mass due to Osteopenia and Osteoporosis.
What causes Osteoporosis and how can you help prevent it?
Studies suggest that the main culprits are high non-dairy protein diets, excessive coffee or lack of calcium. Protein is an acid-forming substance. When there is an excess of acid, the body tries to neutralise it with alkaline agents (calcium and sodium), which then reduces the body’s alkaline reserves. To become less susceptible to Osteoporosis, cut down coffee intake to maximum two cups a day, exercise 30 minutes at least every other day and ensure calcium intake is adequate (at least 800 mg daily)
Isn’t Calcium easy to obtain from the diet?
It should be, but unfortunately, coffee and alcohol rob the body of calcium. High fat and excessive fibre can inhibit the absorbtion of Calcium. Yo-yo dieting and irregular eating can also affect calcium intake.
When does calcium begin to reduce?
Repair and renewal of our bones is a constant process whether we are asleep or awake. Adults reach peak bone mass in their late twenties. After this point, the bone mass has a tendency to reduce gradually and steadily with age.
What is the significance of calcium and vitamin D?
Only about 20-30% of calcium is actually absorbed from the diet, while the rest is naturally excreted. Vitamin D is an essential aid to Calcium absorbtion.
Key Ingredient Properties:
Calcium – The most abundant mineral in the body, providing strenght for the skeleton. In addition to this major function calcium is important in nerves and muscles.
Vitamin A – Necessary for proper vision at night; needed for correct bone development and growth.
Vitamin D – Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by improving the body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Vitmin E – Antioxidant; helps prevent oxidation of Vitamin A and increases its effectiveness. Needed for health of the heart.
Vitamin C – Antioxidant; helps white blood cells fight infection. Needed for healthy skin. Helps the body absorb iron from non-meat sources.
Magnesium – Central to energy release and the functioning of the nerves and muscles; plays a role in bone structure.
Zinc – Needed for healthy reproductive and immune systems. Also required for tissue repair and renewal.
Copper – Component (with zinc and manganese) of an antioxidant anzyme system. Needed for melanin formation and iron metabolism.
Manganese – Component (with zinc and copper) of an antioxidant enzyme system. Needed for healthy bones and nervous system.
Betaine HCL and GLUTAMIC Acid HCL - Amino acids which also assist in the break down and digestion of foods in the stomach (such as fibrous meat)
Horsetail – also known as Equisetum, an herb that is rich in silicon, a trace mineral recognised contributing to proper bone development.
Did you know…
The entire skeleton of an adult is replaced every 7-10 years.
The calcium content of the body weighs around 1.5 kg, 99% of which is in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1% has such an imortant function in the body that when deficiency arises, it is taken from the bones.
Regular exercise stimulates and strengthens the bones.
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