Here's some good news for expecting mums: your Sunday-morning fry-up may boost the intelligence of your baby, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina in the US.
Scientists at the university found that the micronutrient choline, which is found in animal products such as bacon and eggs, is vital in the development of memory and recall in fetal brains.
In the study, mice fed a low-choline diet while in the womb had genetic differences in their brain cells compared to those fed on a high-choline diet.
"Our study in mice indicates that the diet of a pregnant mother, especially choline in that diet, can change the epigenetic switches that control brain development in the fetus," said Dr Steven Zeisel, the scientist who led the study, in a press release.
"Understanding more about how diet modifies our genes could be very important for assuring optimal development."
"We may never be able to call bacon a health food with a straight face, but the emerging field of epigenetics is already making us rethink those things that we consider healthful and unhealthful," said Dr Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal, which published the research.
"This is yet another example showing that good prenatal nutrition is vitally important throughout a child's entire lifetime."
The Australian Government's National Health and Medical Research Centre (NHMRC) suggests the daily recommendation of choline for men is 550mg per day, while for women it is 425mg. NHMRC guidelines suggest pregnant woman should be getting 440mg a day.
While milk, liver, eggs and bacon are good sources of choline, vegetarians can get their recommended amount from dried soybeans, peanuts and wheat germ.
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