UTMB study finds grandmothers’ diet could impact grandchildren’s brain development
KXAN, October 11, 2022
The University of Texas Medical Branch conducted a study recently that found brain development in grandchildren could be affected by what their grandmother eats. It builds on findings from a previous study done by Shelly A. Buffington, assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology and faculty in the Sealy Center for Microbiome Research at UTMB, demonstrating the effects of maternal high-fat diet on offspring brain plasticity and social behavior. “Our study focused on the impact of high-fat diet exposure in the maternal lineage on behavioral outcomes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in descendant generations,” Buffington said. “Remarkably, we found that a high fat grandmaternal diet has the potential to impact neurodevelopment and long-term behavioral outcomes across multiple descendant generations.” The Galveston County Daily News also shared this news.