You are what your mom ate in pregnancy

LONDON: Poor diet during pregnancy increases offspring's vulnerability to the effects of ageing, new research has shown.

The research, by scientists from the University of Cambridge, provides important insight into why children born to mothers who consumed an unhealthy diet during pregnancy have an increased risk of health problems later in life.

"What is most exciting about these findings is that we are now starting to really understand how nutrition during the first nine months of life spent in the womb shape our long term health by influencing how the cells in our body age," said Susan Ozanne, the senior author on the paper and a senior fellow from the Institute of Metabolic Science at the University of Cambridge.

It is well established that environmental factors interact with genes throughout life, affecting the expression of those genes and, consequently, tissue function and disease risk, a university release said. Diet during critical periods of development, such as during the nine months in the womb, has been cited as one such environmental factor.

Epigenetics, which refers to modifications to the DNA that regulate how much of a gene is produced, has been suggested to underlie these effects.

Read More

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/You-are-what-your-mom-ate-in-pregnancy/articleshow/7660276.cms

Happy teenagers 'more likely to get divorced'

Happy teenagers make happier adults but they are more likely to get divorced, scientists have discovered.


Cambridge researchers found teenagers they were more likely to get divorced, due to a higher level of self esteem and greater ability to leave an unhappy marriage.

Researchers at Cambridge university have studied the link between a positive adolescence and well-being in later life and say one has a direct effect upon the other.

Those who have a happy upbringing are 60 per cent less likely to suffer mental problems and also perform better at work and socially.

But they are also more likely to end up divorced, the team found.

Researchers used statistics from 2776 people who took part in the 1946 British cohort birth study, and looked at their mental well-being through life.

A positive childhood was based on teacher evaluations on their levels of happiness, friendship and energy at the ages of 13 and 15. Negative problems such as restlessness and anxiety were also noted.

These were then compared to their later mental health, work experience and relationships, reports the Journal of Positive Psychology.

The youngsters rated positively in their teens were found to be significantly more likely to have higher levels of well-being later on, including greater work satisfaction, more frequent contact with family and friends and more social engagements.

But researchers also found they were more likely to get divorced, with one possible explanation being a higher level of self esteem so a greater ability to leave an unhappy marriage.

Professor Felicia Huppert said: "The benefits to individuals, families and to society of good mental health, positive relationships and satisfying work are likely to be substantial.

"The findings support the view that even at this time of great financial hardship, policymakers should prioritize the well-being of our children so they have the best possible start in life."

Co-author Dr Marcus Richards added: "Most longitudinal studies focus on the negative impact of early mental problems, but the 1946 birth cohort also shows clear and very long-lasting positive consequences of mental well-being in childhood."

Read More


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8350587/Happy-teenagers-more-likely-to-get-divorced.html