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Early nutrition and risk of disease in the adult

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2001

Benjamin Caballero
Benjamin Caballero*
Affiliation:
Center for Human Nutrition, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email caballero@jhu.edu
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Abstract:

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The differentiation of key metabolic systems that occurs during intrauterine life is greatly influenced by environmental nutritional conditions, which in turn are related to maternal nutritional status. In postnatal life, childhood exposure to slow-acting environmental factors, primarily through the diet, will begin to condition adult susceptibility to diseases. Examples of these dietary factors are intake of saturated fat, sodium, calcium, etc. For example, bone calcium accumulation during childhood and adolescence will be a major determinant of risk of osteoporosis later in life. Similarly, a high intake of saturated fat during childhood may promote the process of atherosclerosis in persons with genetic susceptibility, thus accelerating the clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease in adult life.

These findings, although still not completely clarified, constitute a significant opportunity for preventive intervention. While preventive intervention in adult life may reduce risk, this is usually difficult and results are often limited. One example would be obesity. In contrast, interventions early in life, aimed at reducing these early risk factors, could potentially result in major reductions in the incidence of several diseases of adults.

Keywords

ChildrenNutritionPreventive interventionsRisk factors
Type
School health and community nutrition
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 6a , December 2001 , pp. 1335 - 1336
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

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