How moms give breast cancer to daughters and grandaughters
FREE Catholic Classes
A new study shows that mothers who eat a lot of fatty foods during pregnancy can increase their daughters' and even their granddaughters' risk of breast cancer. The study suggests that fatty foods can alter the genes of an unborn baby.
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
9/14/2012 (1 decade ago)
Published in Health
Keywords: Moms, breast cancer, pregnancy, diet, risk, estrogen
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Pregnant women who enjoy too much fatty food during pregnancy can increase breast cancer risk for their daughters and granddaughters later in life.
Scientists at Georgetown University performed their study on rats, feeding the pregnant animals a fatty diet. Their offspring were then fed normal food for the next two generations. The females of the next two generations showed a significantly higher risk of developing breast tumors, despite eating normally.
Researchers must now be demonstrate the same in humans, but they think, regardless of difference between humans and rats, the findings clearly show that an unborn baby's genes can be affected by the amount of fatty foods the mother consumes.
Researchers believe the mechanism involves female sex hormones, which become elevated in women who consume fatty foods, specifically estrogen. Women with high levels of lifetime exposure to estrogen are already at greater risk of developing breast cancer. Add a genetic proclivity and it becomes clear why the disease seems to run in families.
It's believed that if a mother consumes a fatty diet, she can literally flip a genetic switch that makes cells more likely to become cancerous later in the unborn child's life, as well as in the lives of its offspring who will now inherit the same genes.
It does not matter if the child consumes a healthy diet, the genes are already at elevated risk of mutation.
Subsequently, scientists recommend that expecting mothers avoid foods that have high fat content and that they do not eat extra food for the baby's sake. Healthy eating recommendations include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein and legumes.
Regardless of the outcome of future studies, consumption of a fatty diet at anytime, especially during pregnancy, can do little to support personal health of both mother and child. Therefore, it remains sensible to follow a healthy diet anyway.
The journal, Nature Communications, published the study in their current issue.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Chaplain Reveals Unrest at Columbia University Caused by Communists
-
Discovering Who We Are: God's Truth in Scripture
-
Pope Francis Advises Parish Priests on Fostering a Missionary Church
-
5 Reasons Going To Church Is Important (even on days you feel like you can skip)
-
U.S. Catholic Parishes Experience Resurgence of Traditional Practices
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Sunday, May 05, 2024
- St. Hilary of Arles: Saint of the Day for Sunday, May 05, 2024
- Padre Nuestro - Our Father (Lord's Prayer): Prayer of the Day for Sunday, May 05, 2024
- Daily Readings for Saturday, May 04, 2024
- St. Florian: Saint of the Day for Saturday, May 04, 2024
- The Universal Prayer (attributed to Pope Clement Xi): Prayer of the Day for Saturday, May 04, 2024
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.