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Epigenetic priming via nutrient deprivation (caloric restriction) in the F0 generation increases the epigenetic plasticity of subsequent generations, allowing them to better adapt to varying diets and metabolic challenges.
Moderate caloric restriction (e.g., 50-70% of normal intake) during early development or pregnancy may 'prime' the epigenome, making offspring more metabolically resilient to future dietary challenges. However, extreme restriction should be avoided as it can lead to growth issues.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Calorie restriction in F0 allowed for increased metabolic health in F2... This study concludes that the calorie restricted diet of F0 primed the epigenome of F1 and F2 to have greater epigenetic plasticity, promoting greater liver metabolic adjustment to varying diets.
Why this rating
Based on animal studies (rats, Drosophila) reviewed in the paper.
Source
Timing of dietary effects on the epigenome and their potential protective effects against toxins
Lynnea A. Nicholls et al. · Epigenetics · 2025
DOI 10.1080/15592294.2025.2451495
narrative_reviewCited 5×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Dietary interventions (caloric restriction, high-fat, high protein-to-carbohydrate ratios, and specific micronutrients) administered during critical developmental windows (puberty, pregnancy, or lifetime) can induce transgenerational epigenetic modifications that protect offspring against environmental toxins.Moderate
- Specific micronutrients (folate, choline, resveratrol, EGCG) can mitigate toxin-induced epigenetic damage by altering DNA methylation and histone modification patterns.Moderate
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