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Early nutrition and risk of disease in theadult

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 duringintrauterine life is greatly influenced by environmental nutritionalconditions, which in turn are related to maternal nutritionalstatus. In postnatal life, childhood exposure to slow-actingenvironmental factors, primarily through the diet, will begin tocondition adult susceptibility to diseases. Examples of thesedietary factors are intake of saturated fat, sodium, calcium, etc.For example, bone calcium accumulation during childhood andadolescence will be a major determinant of risk of osteoporosislater in life. Similarly, a high intake of saturated fat duringchildhood may promote the process of atherosclerosis in persons withgenetic susceptibility, thus accelerating the clinicalmanifestations of coronary heart disease in adult life.

These findings, although still not completely clarified, constitute asignificant opportunity for preventive intervention. Whilepreventive intervention in adult life may reduce risk, this isusually difficult and results are often limited. One example wouldbe obesity. In contrast, interventions early in life, aimed atreducing these early risk factors, could potentially result in majorreductions in the incidence of several diseases of adults.

Keywords

ChildrenNutritionPreventive interventionsRisk factors

Information

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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