Grant: Operating Grant - PA: Regional Partnership Program - Newfoundland and Labrador

When infants are exposed to poor nutrition in the womb or shortly after birth, their metabolism is altered to compensate for this situation. It has recently been shown that these infants, who are often born small and then catch-up, actually have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Some nutrients, such as the amino acid methionine, have dual roles during growth. Methionine is incorporated into protein and is also responsible for methylation reactions which are critical in maintaining health. These methylation reactions also program DNA in infants which can permanently change the person's susceptibility to disease later in life. However, other dietary nutrients such as folate and choline can spare the need for methionine. We intend to measure the methionine requirement in neonates when folate and choline are deficient or in excess. How these dietary situations affect the methylation reactions will also be investigated to monitor the programming pathways for later disease. Overall, this research will help optimize nutrition recommendations for infants and potentially prevent chronic diseases later in life.