The Impact of Parental Preconception Nutrition, Body Weight, and Exercise Habits on Offspring Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review

An increasing number of studies highlight the critical role of both maternal and paternal nutrition and body weight before conception in shaping offspring health. Traditionally, research has focused on maternal factors, particularly in utero exposures, as key determinants of chronic disease development. However, emerging evidence underscores the significant influence of paternal preconception health on offspring metabolic outcomes. While maternal health remains vital, with preconception nutrition playing a pivotal role in fetal development, paternal obesity and poor nutrition are linked to increased risks of metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in children. This narrative review aims to synthesize recent findings on the effects of both maternal and paternal preconception health, emphasizing the need for integrated early interventions. The literature search utilized PubMed, UNF One Search, and Google Scholar, focusing on RCTs; cohort, retrospective, and animal studies; and systematic reviews, excluding non-English and non-peer-reviewed articles. The findings of this review indicate that paternal effects are mediated by epigenetic changes in sperm, such as DNA methylation and non-coding RNA, which influence gene expression in offspring. Nutrient imbalances during preconception in both parents can lead to low birth weight and increased metabolic disease risk, while deficiencies in folic acid, iron, iodine, and vitamin D are linked to developmental disorders. Additionally, maternal obesity elevates the risk of chronic diseases in children. Future research should prioritize human studies to explore the influence of parental nutrition, body weight, and lifestyle on offspring health, ensuring findings are applicable across diverse populations. By addressing both maternal and paternal factors, healthcare providers can better reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated risks in future generations.

Informal caregiver and healthcare professional perspectives on dementia and nutrition

BACKGROUND

Persons living with dementia and informal caregivers are at a higher risk for malnutrition. Most caregivers are not experts at identifying nutritional complications of dementia. Therefore, we aimed to identify nutrition knowledge and challenges related to feeding and caring for persons with dementia to develop a meaningful intervention.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was used. Eight focus groups were conducted with caregivers of persons living with dementia (n = 28) and healthcare professionals (n = 23). Data was analysed using NVivo software. A questionnaire was administered to identify nutritional challenges. A modified food frequency questionnaire assessed food patterns of caregivers and persons with dementia. Results were compared to Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) dietary guidelines. Data were analysed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

Four major themes emerged: forgetting to eat, developing food aversions, strong preferences for sweets and weight changes. Findings revealed common strategies used to improve nutrition intake included cueing, supplements and quiet eating environment. Caregivers were impacted by stress leading to poorer food choices and exhaustion. Recommendations for a caregiver program made by participants included education, resources and support. Findings from the food frequencies questionnaire survey showed most participants had a lower dietary diversity compared to the MIND diet guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

With both groups being more prone to malnutrition, this research shows that participants were less likely to obtain adequate nutrition for brain health. Additionally, caregivers are dealing with nutrition issues themselves and their person living with dementia. The findings support the need for registered dietitians to provide tailored nutrition interventions for these families.

The Role of Water-Soluble Vitamins and Vitamin D in Prevention and Treatment of Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder in Adults

Depression is a major global health concern expected to worsen by 2030. In 2019, 28 million individuals were affected by depressive disorders. Dietary and supplemental vitamins show overall favorable preventative and therapeutic effects on depression. B vitamins are crucial for neurological function and mood regulation. Deficiencies in these vitamins are linked to depression. Studies on individual B vitamins show promise in improving depressive symptoms, particularly thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. Vitamin C deficiency may heighten depressive symptoms, but its exact role is not fully understood. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is associated with insufficient sunlight exposure and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplementation for SAD shows inconsistent results due to methodological variations. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms of vitamins in depression treatment. Moreover, more research on SAD and light therapy's efficacy and underlying mechanisms involving photoreceptors, enzymes, and immune markers is needed. Although dietary and supplemental vitamins show overall favorable preventative and therapeutic effects on depression, dietitians treating psychiatric disorders face challenges due to diverse study designs, making direct comparisons difficult. Therefore, this article reviews the current literature to assess the role of dietary and supplemental vitamins in the prevention and treatment of depression. This review found that, although evidence supports the role of B vitamins and vitamins C and D in preventing and treating depression, further research is needed to clarify their mechanisms of action and determine the most effective intervention strategies.

Abnormalities in gut virome signatures linked with cognitive impairment in older adults

Multiple emerging lines of evidence indicate that the microbiome contributes to aging and cognitive health. However, the roles of distinct microbial components, such as viruses (virome) and their interactions with bacteria (bacteriome), as well as their metabolic pathways (metabolome) in relation to aging and cognitive function, remain poorly understood. Here, we present proof-of-concept results from a pilot study using datasets (n = 176) from the Microbiome in Aging Gut and Brain (MiaGB) consortium, demonstrating that the human virome signature significantly differs across the aging continuum (60s vs. 70s vs. 80+ years of age) in older adults. We observed that the predominant virome signature was enriched with bacteriophages, which change considerably with aging continuum. Analyses of interactions between phages and the host bacteriome suggest that lytic or temperate relationships change distinctly across the aging continuum, as well as cognitive impairment. Interestingly, the phage-bacteriome-metabolome interactions develop unique patterns that are distinctly linked to aging and cognitive dysfunction in older adults. The phage-bacteriome interactions affect bacterial metabolic pathways, potentially impacting older adults' health, including the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Further comprehension of these studies could provide opportunities to target the microbiome by developing phage therapies to improve aging and brain health in older adults.

The selection of participants for interventional microbiota trials involving cognitively impaired older adults

Gut microbiota plays a significant role in nutrient extraction, metabolism, and immune function. Thus, the growing number of microbiome studies seek to link the presence and prevalence of specific bacteria, fungi, and viruses with a variety of physiological and disease outcomes. However, recruiting a diverse group of patients has been a challenge. Poor hearing and vision, lack of transportation, cognitive impairment, and a non-English primary language may interfere with patient enrollment as well as adherence to the requirements of a Microbiome study. Much of what we do know about diseases in older adults comes from studies that exclude many of these patients commonly encountered in clinical practice. The purpose of this review article is to highlight recruitment and retention strategies for engaging people who typically do not participate in microbiome studies, and it seeks to develop and explicate inclusion and exclusion criteria to promote more robust study results.