2 days ago James Gallagher Health and science correspondent•@JamesTGallagher Cutting sugar in the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life – from conception to the age of two – appears to reduce the risk of developing significant health issues in adult life, say researchers.
Experts believe the first 1,000 days of life are a crucial period which can shape a person’s future health, as well as being responsible for establishing a life-long sweet tooth.
When the rationing of sugar and sweets concluded in September 1953, average sugar consumption in the UK population went from around 41g a day (10 sugar cubes) to 80g (20 sugar cubes) almost immediately.
Both groups lived through the same societal changes over the subsequent 70 years, but a key difference was their sugar exposure in their first 1,000 days.
“Studies show that – while most humans like sweet – significant sugar exposure in early life can strengthen this preference,” she said.
Two days ago. .
Gallagher, James.
Science and health correspondent •@JamesTGallagher.
Limiting sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life, from conception to age two, seems to lower the likelihood that the child will experience serious health problems as an adult, according to researchers.
The group examined the effects of the UK’s rapid doubling of sugar consumption following the end of sugar rationing.
Limiting sugar consumption during early life reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 35% and high blood pressure by 20%, according to their study.
According to experts, a person’s first 1,000 days of life are a critical time that can influence their future health and create a lifelong sweet tooth.
The “natural experiment” that occurred as the UK recovered from World War Two and food rationing ended was exploited by the researchers.
The average daily sugar intake in the United Kingdom increased almost instantly from about 41g (10 sugar cubes) to 80g (20 sugar cubes) after the end of the rationing of sugar and sweets in September 1953.
After analyzing the UK BioBank database, researchers discovered 60,000 individuals who were born between 1951 and 1956 and whose health was routinely tracked.
They were able to learn more about the health of both those born during and soon after rationing thanks to this. Throughout the next 70 years, both groups experienced the same social shifts, but one significant distinction was how much sugar they were exposed to during their first 1,000 days.
The researchers at the University of Southern California found that the babies who were given sugar rations had a 30% lower chance of becoming obese.
Naturally, it discovered that the risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes rose with age, but it increased more quickly in those born after the end of sugar rationing.
According to findings published in the journal Science, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes typically develop two and four years after early childhood sugar rationing, respectively.
Babies born during sugar rationing had a 15% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 20% lower risk of high blood pressure.
Given that a third of the advantages of a low-sugar diet were felt while the baby was still in the womb, the mother’s diet during pregnancy was crucial. But the biggest health gains occurred when sugar-rationing was implemented during the womb and after the baby was weaned off of solid foods.
One of the researchers from the University of Southern California, Tadeja Gracner, stated that early sugar exposure may have an impact on metabolism and the body’s response to food throughout life.
Because of things like fetal programming, she said, “Maternal diets high in sugar have been linked to a higher risk of obesity and metabolic disorders in children.”.
She also mentioned that consuming sugar at a young age may create a lifelong taste for sweets.
“Research indicates that, even though most people enjoy sweets, substantial exposure to sugar during early life can enhance this preference,” she stated.
According to her, reducing early exposure “is a powerful step” in providing kids with “the best start in life,” but “a birthday cake, candy, or cookies, in moderation, are treats we all need to enjoy from time to time.”.
But she admitted that since sugar is “everywhere – even in baby and toddler foods,” avoiding it is “far from easy.”.
Foods marketed to parents in the UK who are weaning their infants contain excessive amounts of sugar, according to campaign groups.
To help their toddlers embrace a range of flavors, parents are also encouraged to serve less sweet veggies, like spinach or broccoli.
Instead of monitoring the diets of individual people, the study examined the effects of sugar consumption doubling nationwide, so it cannot be regarded as conclusive. These variations in health could also have resulted from other changes that were occurring at the time.
However, the researchers maintain that the loss of other rationed foods during the same time period did not significantly change the national diet, with consumption of fat and protein staying constant. They also didn’t see any effects from the 1954 removal of butter rationing.
The study, according to Dr. Katie Dalrymple, a lecturer in nutritional sciences at Kings College London, supported the idea of the “development origins of health and disease,” which holds that there are important life events that have a big influence on our health later on.
“[The results] support the notion of public health initiatives which focus on sugar reduction,” she stated. “”.
“The findings of this study should serve as a call to action for women in the preconception [and] pregnancy stages as well as for parents of young children,” stated Jerusa Brignardello, a dietetics and nutrition lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.
“In light of the evidence, the food industry should think about repurposing products aimed at these groups, putting future generations’ health first. “..”.
