Intergenerational Effects of Paternal Diets on Offspring Health and Reproduction

Fat, protein, and micronutrients serve as essential components of human nutrition, and their balanced intake is critical for maintaining health. Chronic nutritional imbalances may adversely affect not only individual health but that of subsequent generations. Accumulating evidence indicates that paternal nutritional status before conception contributes to offspring health through diet-induced alterations in sperm quality and epigenetic programming. The genetic integrity and physiological condition of sperm are susceptible to long-term dietary exposures, providing a potential biological basis for paternal nutritional programming. This review summarizes current evidence regarding the effects and potential molecular mechanisms by which paternal dietary patterns, including high-fat diet (HFD), low-protein diet (LPD), and folic acid (FA) intake, influence reproductive competence, embryonic development, and cognitive function in offspring. Notably, most available evidence is derived from animal models, whereas corresponding human data remain limited. Current findings suggest that paternal dietary patterns may influence reproductive, embryonic, and offspring outcomes through interconnected biological pathways involving sperm quality and epigenetic regulation, although the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We also discuss potential intervention strategies evaluated in preclinical studies and highlight current knowledge gaps and future research priorities for understanding the intergenerational effects of paternal nutrition.