Basic nutritional investigationInfluence of Japanese diet consumption during pregnancy and lactation on lipid metabolism in offspring
Introduction
Japan has had one of the highest life expectancies in the world since the 1980s [1]. The influence of the Japanese diet on the longevity of the Japanese population is considered to be extremely high. The Japanese diet has lower fat and caloric contents compared with the Western diet and is associated with a high intake of shellfish and other fish and vegetables. In addition, many foods in the Japanese diet, including fermented foods, seaweeds, and green tea, are thought to have high health benefits. Thus, the functionality of the foods comprising the Japanese diet has been well studied worldwide [2], [3], [4]. However, to our knowledge the functionality of the Japanese diet itself has hardly been investigated. We have conducted various studies on the Japanese diet itself. In a previous study, we created 1-wk menus of the modern Japanese diet and the modern American diet based on dietary intake surveys conducted in each country; the meals were prepared, freeze-dried, powdered, and then fed to rats to examine the effects on health [5]. A DNA microarray analysis of comprehensive liver gene expression showed that the levels of stress-response genes were lower and those of energy-, glucose-, and lipid metabolism-related genes higher in rats fed the modern Japanese diet compared with those fed the modern American diet. This suggested that the Japanese diet decreases stress and is less likely to cause obesity by stimulating metabolism compared with the modern American diet. In addition, DNA microarray analysis showed that the Japanese diet exerts similar effects to those of caloric restriction. The study provided a scientific basis for the value of the Japanese diet in maintaining health.
According to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis that malnutrition or overnutrition in the mother during the pregnancy and lactation periods results in a predisposition for metabolic syndrome development in the offspring later in life, food intake during pregnancy and lactation has a significant influence on the future health of offspring, and various studies on this topic have been carried out worldwide [6], [7], [8]. It has been reported that obesity and insulin resistance (IR) tend to occur in low birthweight infants whose mothers underwent caloric restriction during lactation [9], [10], [11]. However, caloric restriction is also important for health maintenance. The reported effects of calorie-restricted diets include obesity prevention, activation of lipid metabolism–related genes, and life-span extension because of the decrease in the incidence of aging-related diseases [12], [13]. Therefore, whether the Japanese diet with antiobesity effects similar to calorie-restricted diets, ingested by a mother during pregnancy and lactation is more likely to result in low birthweight infants and to increase the risk for metabolic syndrome in the offspring later in life were interested. In this study, the aim was to examine the influence of maternal consumption of the Japanese diet during pregnancy and lactation on the risk for obesity and diabetes in the offspring later in life.
Section snippets
Preparation of the experimental diets
To determine the effect on offspring of mother's intake of the Japanese diet during pregnancy and lactation, the diet in Japan since 2010 was defined as the modern Japanese diet. Meals were prepared as reported previously [14], [15]. Weekly menus (for 21 meals total) based on the 2010 National Nutrition Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan under the guidance of a registered dietitian were created (Table 1) [16], [17]. In brief, the menus that the Japanese had eaten on
Compositions of the experimental diets
The nutritional compositions of the experimental diets are presented in Table 3. The proportion of protein was higher in the Western diet but comparable to the Japanese diet compared with the control diet. The proportion of fat was lowest in the control diet, fivefold lower than that in the Western diet. The proportion of fat in the Japanese diet was half that of the Western diet. The proportion of carbohydrates was highest in the control diet and ∼20 or 10 g/100 g lower in the Western or
Discussion
In the present study, whether consumption of the Japanese diet, which is associated with antiobesity effects, by a mother during pregnancy and lactation affects lipid metabolism or increases the risk for developing a lifestyle-related disease later in life in her offspring was investigated. The CO and HD control groups comprised mice fed a normal diet and mice fed a Western diet characteristic of the American diet, respectively. Comparisons of these two groups with the group fed a modern
Conclusion
Based on the results of this study, unlike a calorie-restricted diet, maternal consumption of the Japanese diet, even during pregnancy and lactation, does not adversely affect lipid metabolism in the offspring during infancy or later in life and does not increase the incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. Although further studies are required to determine exactly how maternal consumption of the Japanese diet during pregnancy and lactation affects offspring, this study confirmed no adverse
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This research was supported by grants from the Project of the NARO Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (Advanced integration research for agriculture and interdisciplinary fields) and The Canon Foundation.