A study published in October in the journal Science reveals that reducing sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to age two, may lower the risk of major health problems in adulthood, including diabetes and hypertension.
To investigate the long-term effects of early sugar consumption on health, researchers led by Tadeja Gracner from the University of Southern California examined data from sugar rationing in the United Kingdom during and after World War II, which lasted until 1953, as reported by Última Hora. During this period, sugar intake was strictly controlled, decreasing the amount of sugar in people's diets to about 40 grams per day, aligning with today's dietary guidelines, according to BBC News. When rationing ended in September 1953, sugar consumption in Britain nearly doubled overnight to around 80 grams per day.
Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers studied the health status of approximately 60,183 participants born between October 1951 and March 1956, comparing those exposed to sugar rationing in the womb and early years of life with those who were not, as reported by La Opinión. Those who experienced limited sugar exposure in the first 1,000 days after conception had a 35% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and a 20% lower risk of hypertension compared to those born after rationing ended, according to BBC News.
"The findings indicate that spending the fetal and infant periods in a relatively low-sugar environment greatly reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension decades later," said Tadeja Gracner, the study's author and an economist at the University of Southern California, according to Parents France. Gracner explained that early exposure to sugar can affect metabolism and how the body responds to food throughout life, possibly due to factors like fetal programming, as reported by BBC News.
Moreover, the onset of diabetes and hypertension was delayed by four years and two years, respectively, among those exposed to early sugar rationing. The researchers observed that early-life sugar rationing not only reduces the risk of these diseases but also delays their onset, according to El Tiempo.
"[The results] endorse public health policies that focus on reducing sugar," stated Katie Dalrymple, a professor of nutritional sciences at King's College London, according to BBC News. "The results should be a wake-up call to women in pre-conception and pregnancy stages, and parents of young children," said Jerusa Brignardello, a professor in dietetics and nutrition at Oxford Brookes University, as reported by BBC News.
Researchers emphasize that high sugar consumption in early life could solidify a preference for sweet foods, making it harder for individuals to avoid sugary foods throughout their lives, leading to a lifelong addiction to sugar, according to La Opinión. The study suggests that to help children live a healthy life and not be addicted to sugar, parents should feed them the right foods without added sugar not only after they are born but also before, according to Psychology Today.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), modern dietary guidelines in the US recommend that children under the age of two should have no added sugars at all, and these findings confirm the relevance of dietary recommendations that advise avoiding added sugars for children under two years old, as reported by ABC News.
Despite difficulties in avoiding sugar in commercial foods aimed at children, the researchers suggest it is crucial to incorporate vegetables and other less sweet flavors in early life stages. Incorporating less sweet flavors helps babies develop a diverse and healthy palate, as exposure to these flavors early on increases the likelihood of acceptance later in life, according to La Opinión.
The study has limitations; it only included individuals born in the UK between 1951 and 1956 and is based on self-reported health data, which may not reflect current conditions, as reported by Última Hora. Nevertheless, the research underscores the importance of early dietary interventions in preventing chronic diseases, including diabetes and high blood pressure, according to People.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.