As an intending father or father, you may want to eat well for your unborn children’s sake. There are many factors that affect the health of children, born and unborn. An important one is the nutrition, lifestyle habits and food choices of the parents.

For a long time, the mother’s health has been known to affect the child’s, but a study by the University of Nottingham specifically targeted at the influence of protein deficiency in the father’s diet on the cardiovascular health of the offspring, suggests that while stress, depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues in the mother can impact how a baby develops, a diet containing very low protein could harm the cardiovascular health of the children both in the neonatal and mature stages.

According to Sciencedaily, the researchers believe that the health of a father’s offspring is affected both by the quality of his genetic information passed on within the sperm at conception, and by the seminal plasma-primed maternal uterine environment in which the embryo will develop.

A previous study established a link between poor eating in the father and growth in the embryo, fetal development and metabolism, as well as heart illness.

However, new research has revealed that a dearth of protein in the paternal nutrition routine affects sperm quality which can, in turn, have an undeviating bearing on the long-standing health of their offspring. Over nutrition, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking also have effect on sperm quality and the overall well-being of the DNA.

According to Professor Kevin Sinclair, it is important to understand that the sperm is a major contributor to more than half of the genetic factors that make up a child. Therefore, it is crucial for fathers to understand and strictly live a healthy and nutritious lifestyle.

Busola Ogunmoyero, a researcher and Public Relations enthusiast, writes from Lagos.