Long-term effects of dietary lipid structure in early life: Studies in experimental models

Breast-fed babies are less likely to be overweight in later life, compared to formula-fed babies. Part of this phenomenon could be due to the way that the fat is ‘coated’ in the fat droplets. In human milk, fat is present in droplets that are coated with so called phospholipids, whereas in formula the fat droplets are coated with protein. The aim of this thesis was to investigate in an experimental mouse model to what extent and how fat coating can impact weight gain in later life. When the phospholipid coating is mimicked in an experimental formula and tested in young mice, these mice (compared to mice fed a control formula) transiently gain less bodyweight and body fat later in life when fed a high-fat diet. It was shown that experimental formula-fed mice had higher surrogate markers of fat-burning capacity in liver tissue.Follow up studies indicated that mice that had been fed in their early life the experimental diet, handled absorbed fat in adult life differently than control mice: the rate at which absorbed fat appeared in different organs and tissues was different. This could point to a mechanism underlying the beneficial effects towards the development of obesity. In conclusion, this thesis highlighted the prominent role of early life nutrition in determining adult life handling of dietary fats