WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study, published in Nature Metabolism, suggested that weather at the time of conception could influence a person's health later in life.
Researchers in Japan studied 356 healthy young men and found that those conceived in cold seasons had more active brown fat, a type of fat that burns energy, keeps the body warm, and helps control blood sugar.
These individuals also burned more energy, had lower body mass index (BMI), and stored less fat around their internal organs, which were all signs of better overall metabolic health. Notably, in people who are overweight or obese, brown fat is usually less active.
To see if this applied to more people, the researchers also looked at 286 adults of various ages. They found a small but clear link between being conceived in cold months and having more active brown fat, lower BMI, less belly fat, and smaller waist sizes.
They believe that the boost in brown fat activity may be the reason for these health benefits. Simply put, the season of conception didn't directly affect BMI, but it did seem to affect brown fat, which then influenced other health markers.
The researchers suggested that cold weather might affect the genes in sperm or eggs, and these changes could be passed on to children at the moment of conception.
Additionally, researchers had men sit in a cold room (19°C or 66°F) for two hours. They measured brown fat activity afterward and found it was higher in people conceived between January 1-April 15 and October 17-December 31 (in the Northern Hemisphere), compared to those conceived during warmer months.
Meanwhile, in an earlier study, they found that people conceived in colder months were 3.2 percent more likely to have active brown fat, while those conceived in warmer months were less likely to have it.
The researchers stated that they need to conduct further research to learn more about how things like cold weather, exercise, and diet can affect sperm, eggs, and the health of future generations.
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