Nutrigenetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Maternal Nutrition-Induced Glucolipid Metabolism Changes in the Offspring.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic literature without systematic search methodology or original data
PubMed 38781288 · doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae048
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms through which maternal nutrition during pregnancy influences offspring glucolipid metabolism. The authors reviewed dietary conditions—including high-fat diets, polyunsaturated fatty acid diets, methyl donor supplementation, feed restriction, and protein restriction—and their effects on DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs across offspring liver, adipose tissue, hypothalamus, muscle, and oocytes.
What was found
No quantitative findings, sample sizes, or numerical effect estimates were reported in the abstract. The review summarized that maternal gestational diets alter gene expression in metabolic tissues via epigenetic modifications, impacting insulin sensitivity and glucose and lipid homeostasis across generations.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes proposed epigenetic pathways linking maternal diet to offspring metabolic health, offering a mechanistic basis for precision maternal-child nutrition research.
Limits
As a narrative review, it does not use systematic search criteria, quality appraisal, or quantitative synthesis. The abstract presents no original empirical data and does not distinguish between animal mechanistic models and human clinical evidence.