Based on a study of the nutritional needs of pregnant women, scientists at the University of Coimbra (UC) are conducting a study to understand the potential impact of a prenatal diet on autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
A team of researchers is conducting a research project called “Tryp-to-Brain” to understand the potential impact of prenatal diet on ASD in order to gain new knowledge for future preventive approaches to this health condition. press release sent to Lusa agency.
The idea is to “understand how tryptophan availability during pregnancy may influence the onset or severity of autism spectrum disorder symptoms, leading to a better understanding of the relationship between maternal nutrition, gut flora, and brain development,” the article explains. notes researcher at the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT) at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) at the University of California, and project coordinator Joana Gonsalves.
Tryptophan is the main amino acid for the production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, appetite, heart rate, body temperature, sensitivity, and cognition).
Tryptophan can be obtained from food and is found in foods such as cheese, salmon, nuts, and eggs.
However, it can also be obtained through dietary supplements, which should only be consumed under medical supervision.
To date, laboratory studies in animal models have “showed the importance of diet during pregnancy for normal brain development.”
“In fact, tryptophan appears to play a fundamental role in the brain, however its exact role during gestational brain development is still unknown,” the researcher said.
Joana Gonçalves said that “Knowing that tryptophan may be fundamental to the development of functional neural circuits, this study could serve as a proof of concept for future larger studies and clinical trials.”
According to the note, in previous scientific studies, “neurological diseases such as autism spectrum disorder have been linked to changes in gut flora that may result from poor dietary habits” such as consumption of high-fat diets. .
Therefore, “such eating behaviors during pregnancy may represent additional risk windows for cognitive impairment.”
Through this project, the UCLA team intends to “better understand the relationship between maternal nutrition and brain development, which could lead to improved treatment of autistic conditions,” said Joana Gonçalves.
The researcher also said the project “could bring new knowledge about the nutritional needs of pregnant women.”
He also emphasized that “due to the economic inequality existing in society, not all pregnant women will have at their disposal food rich in tryptophan, and therefore it is important to understand whether a deficiency of tryptophan in the body can cause brain changes in offspring and in the development of diseases of the nervous system. systems.”
The Tryp-to-Brain project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.