You are affected by what your parents eat: Diet, epigenetics, transgeneration and intergeneration

Background: In contrast with genetics, epigenetics does not alter the DNA sequence. It was a widely held thought that although the epigenome undergoes a process of reprogramming during gametogenesis and early embryo development, resulting epigenetic information could not be inherited by subsequent generations. There are growing pieces of evidence, recently, indicating that parentally acquired traits due to exposure to external environmental factors can be transmitted to offsprings via epigenetic mechanisms. Amongst others, diets and/or active ingredients from certain foods can be considered as external factors and can regulate epigenetic modifications to affect parental traits. Interestingly, some of these traits are transmittable from parents to offsprings. Scope and approach: In this review, we summarized the mechanisms of generational epigenetic inheritance and focused on the epigenetic modulations caused by dietary factors/food active compounds. Diets and nutrition results in traits alterations, some of which are transmissible from parents to offsprings. Strictly put, the traits that could be inherited from parents are of two types: transgeneration and intergeneration. The inheritance of epigenetic information in germ cells without direct environmental stimulus, and which leads to offspring's phenotypic variation is called transgeneration, while generations directly exposed to the initial signal or environment are considered as intergeneration. Key findings and conclusions: Dietary patterns including malnutrition, hyper-nutrition, special component's deficiency, all results in epigenetic alterations. If the alteration occurs in germ cells, the traits of parents can be transmitted to subsequent generations. A better understanding of the relationship between parental diet and offspring health will prevent certain related diseases, which has profound implications for the health of human and our progeny.