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2026-04-07 
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Early diet may leave hidden, long-term imprints on the brain’s control of eating.
Eating unhealthy foods early in life can lead to lasting changes in the brain and eating behavior, but gut bacteria may help restore healthier patterns, according to a new study from University College Cork (UCC).
Researchers at APC Microbiome, a leading institute at UCC, found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during early development can alter how the brain controls eating over the long term. These effects can persist even after the diet improves and body weight returns to normal.
Children today are surrounded by environments where high-fat, high-sugar foods are easy to access and heavily promoted. These foods are commonly present at birthday parties, school events, sports activities, and even used as rewards for good behavior, making them a regular part of early life.
The study highlights how this repeated exposure can have lasting consequences. Regular consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods during childhood may shape food preferences and reinforce unhealthy eating habits that continue into adulthood.
Lasting Effects of Early Diet on the Brain
Published in Nature Communications, the research also points to possible ways to reduce these long-term effects. Interventions targeting the gut microbiota, including a beneficial bacterial strain (Bifidobacterium longum APC1472) and prebiotic fibers (fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), naturally present in foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, and bananas, and widely available in fortified foods and prebiotic supplements), showed potential when used across the lifespan.
In a preclinical mouse model, early exposure to a high-fat, high-sugar diet led to lasting changes in feeding behavior that continued into adulthood. These changes were linked to disruptions in the hypothalamus, a key brain region that regulates appetite and energy balance.
What we eat early in life matters
“Our findings show that what we eat early in life really matters,” said Dr. Cristina Cuesta-Martí, first author of the study. “Early dietary exposure may leave hidden, long-term effects on feeding behavior that are not immediately visible through weight alone.”
The findings indicate that poor diets early in life can disrupt brain pathways involved in controlling eating, with effects that persist into adulthood. This pattern may increase the risk of obesity later on, even if body weight appears normal at earlier stages.
Targeting the gut microbiota helped reduce these long-term effects. The probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 significantly improved feeding behavior while causing only minor changes to the overall microbiome, suggesting a focused mechanism. In contrast, the prebiotic combination (FOS+GOS) produced broader changes in gut microbiota composition.
Targeting the gut microbiota can mitigate the long-term effects
Dr. Harriet Schellekens, lead investigator of the study, added, “Crucially, our findings show that targeting the gut microbiota can mitigate the long-term effects of an unhealthy early-life diet on later feeding behavior. Supporting the gut microbiota from birth helps maintain healthier food-related behaviors into later life.”
Professor John F. Cryan, Vice President for Research & Innovation at UCC and collaborator on the study, said: “Studies like this exemplify how fundamental research can lead to potential innovative solutions for major societal challenges. By revealing how early-life diet shapes brain pathways involved in the regulation of feeding, this work opens new opportunities for microbiota-based interventions.”
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