We often hear that “you are what you eat,” but new research from Tulane University reveals that what’s missing from your diet can affect not just you, but your descendants for generations.

This groundbreaking study, published in the journal Heliyon, shows how a low-protein diet in one generation can lead to health problems that persist across multiple generations.

The study involved mice, where pairs were fed a diet low in protein. The researchers discovered that their offspring, over four generations, were born with lower birth weights and smaller kidneys—both risk factors for chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure.

Surprisingly, improving the diet of the first or later generations did not fix these issues. The affected offspring continued to have lower nephron counts, which are the tiny filtration units in kidneys that remove waste from the bloodstream.

This finding suggests that the consequences of food shortages or malnutrition could last for decades, even if future generations have access to proper nutrition. “It’s like an avalanche,” explained Giovane Tortelote, the lead researcher and assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine.

“You’d think fixing the diet in the first generation would stop the problem, but it doesn’t. Grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond may still inherit low birth weight and kidney issues even if they never experience a poor diet themselves.”

Interestingly, the study showed that the impact wasn’t limited to whether the mother or father had a protein-deficient diet. Both parents contributed to these negative outcomes in their offspring.

This highlights the role of epigenetics—how environmental factors, like nutrition, can influence gene expression without altering the DNA itself.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the study was the gradual improvement seen in the third and fourth generations, where nephron counts began to normalize.

However, researchers still don’t fully understand why the problem is passed on or how the recovery process works. Tortelote noted that further research is needed to determine when and how kidney development returns to normal.

This research sheds light on the underlying causes of chronic kidney disease, a condition that ranks as the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.

If a person is born with fewer nephrons, they are more likely to develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, damages the kidneys, creating a vicious cycle that can lead to serious health problems over a lifetime.

The implications for humans are significant, especially in parts of the world where food shortages or malnutrition are common. If similar processes occur in people, the long-term effects of nutritional crises could stretch across 50 to 60 years, impacting several generations.

As Tortelote emphasized, the big questions now are: Can these effects be reversed? And if so, how? While much remains to be discovered, this research highlights the critical importance of proper nutrition—not just for individuals but for the health of future generations.

If you care about nutrition, please read studies that whole grain foods could help increase longevity, and vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death.

For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about natural coconut sugar that could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness, and whey and soy protein may reduce inflammation in older people.

The research findings can be found in Heliyon.

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