In this unusual way, we can rephrase Hippocrates by reading the results of a new study.

Scientists have found that diabetes and obesity associated with overeating are inherited by descendants at the epigenetic level.

Employees of the Helmholtz Center in Munich and their colleagues from the Munich Technical University and the German Diabetes Center report that diet-mediated diseases can be transmitted to future generations from both mother and father.

More details of their findings can be found in the journal Nature Genetics.

To prove the unexpected theory, the Institute of Experimental Genetics (IEG) took a group of healthy laboratory mice that were fed fatty foods "for slaughter," or rather until the development of type 2 diabetes and severe obesity.

In the infected rodents, sperm and eggs were taken, fertilized perfectly healthy surrogate mothers, and then observed the state of their offspring throughout life. In this way, scientists excluded the effect of the metabolism of the biological mother during pregnancy and lactation.

"The results of our study clearly demonstrate that oocytes and sperm carry epigenetic information that causes obesity in offspring, especially the female sex. On the other hand, male offspring are more susceptible to diabetes mellitus, transmitted from sick parents, "says Professor Johannes Beckers, Project Manager.

"This type of epigenetic inheritance of metabolic disorders due to an unhealthy diet can be the true cause of the global epidemic of diabetes and obesity that has been observed since the 1960s," suggested Professor Martin de Angelis, IEG director and initiator of the study.

According to the scientist, a sharp increase in the number of diabetics around the world can not be explained by mutations in the genes themselves, because the process goes too fast. But behind this may well be epigenetic inheritance, which remains noticeable for several generations, but fundamentally reversible medbe. en.

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