Based on a study of the nutritional needs of pregnant women, scientists from the University of Coimbra (UC) are conducting research to understand the potential impacts of prenatal diet on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
A team of researchers is conducting a research project, titled “Tryp-to-Brain,” to understand the potential impacts of prenatal diet on ASDin order to produce new knowledge for future preventive approaches to this health condition, reported the UC, in a press release sent to the Lusa news agency.
The idea is to “understand how the availability of tryptophan during pregnancy can influence the appearance or severity of the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which will allow a better understanding of the relationships between maternal diet, intestinal flora and brain development”. Joana Gonçalves, a researcher at the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT) of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) of the UC and coordinator of the project, explained, quoted in the note.
Tryptophan is a fundamental amino acid for the production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, appetite, heart rate, body temperature, sensitivity, and cognitive functions) and can be acquired through food , being present in products such as cheese. , salmon, walnuts and eggs.
However, it can also be obtained through supplementation, which should only be taken under medical guidance.
So far, laboratory studies with animal models already carried out “have shown the importance of diet during pregnancy for normal brain development”.
“Indeed, tryptophan seems to play a key role in the brain, however its exact role during gestational brain development is still unknown,” said the researcher.
Joana Gonçalves said that “with the knowledge that tryptophan can be essential in the development of functional neural circuits, this study can serve as a proof of concept for future studies and larger clinical trials.”
According to the note, in previous scientific studies, “neurodevelopmental diseases, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, have been associated with alterations in the intestinal flora that can result from poor eating habits,” such as the consumption of diets with a high content of fat.
Therefore, “these eating behaviors during pregnancy may represent additional risk windows for cognitive decline.”
With this project, the UC team intends to provide “a better understanding of the relationship between maternal diet and brain development, which could contribute to improving the treatment of autistic conditions”, points out Joana Gonçalves.
The researcher also said that the project “may bring new insights into the nutritional needs of pregnant women.”
He also stressed that, “due to the economic discrepancy that exists in society, not all pregnant women will have tryptophan-rich foods available to them, so it is important to understand whether tryptophan deficiency in the body can cause brain changes in the future.” Body”. offspring and in the development of neurodevelopmental diseases.
The “Tryp-to-Brain” project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
Source: Observadora
