Dietary Interventions Targeting Maternal Obesity: Intergenerational Effects, Mechanisms, and Translational Insights.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Maternal obesity is a major public health challenge that elevates pregnancy risks and predisposes offspring to lifelong metabolic disorders. Nutrition, as a modifiable determinant of the intrauterine environment, offers opportunities to interrupt this intergenerational cycle. This review synthesizes evidence on polyphenols, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, whole grains, and iron, highlighting underlying mechanisms and translational implications for maternal and offspring health.

Recent findings: Preclinical studies demonstrate that these interventions improve maternal metabolism, modulate placental function, regulate gut microbiota, alter breast milk composition, and influence epigenetic programming. Clinical evidence is relatively strong for folic acid and vitamin D, whereas evidence for dietary fiber is emerging, with long-term offspring outcomes still insufficiently investigated. Polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but translation is constrained by low bioavailability and limited safety data. Probiotics and prebiotics show potential in modulating maternal-infant gut health, yet trial outcomes are inconsistent and strain-specific. Whole grains and fortified foods may represent feasible options for population-level implementation, although robust longitudinal studies in obese pregnancies are still lacking. Dietary interventions hold promise for mitigating maternal obesity by improving metabolism, reducing inflammation, supporting placental function, and modulating gut microbiota, breast milk composition, and epigenetic programming. However, evidence is largely preclinical and long-term human data are limited. Future research should prioritize well-designed clinical trials and personalized approaches tailored to maternal phenotype and nutritional status to enable effective, scalable strategies for breaking the intergenerational cycle of obesity.