Galactose alters early-life development and exerts sex-specific nutritional programming effects on lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster (opens in new tab)

BackgroundNutritional programming by early-life nutrition exerts long-lasting effects on later-life health. In mammals, galactose, as a component of the milk sugar lactose, is consumed during lactation. Mouse studies suggest that prolonged postweaning galactose consumption improves later-life metabolic health, but it is unclear whether these benefits translate into increased lifespan. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an attractive model for studying programming effects on lifespan due...