Reducing the amount of sugar children get in the womb and as toddlers could protect them from diabetes and high blood pressure in adulthood, research suggests.
The finding reveals a critical period for healthy nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, as babies initially absorb nutrients from their mothers and transition to formula and infant formula.
Scientists found that limiting sugar intake to the levels set in dietary guidelines in early life was associated with a 35% drop in the rate of type 2 diabetes in middle age and a 20% drop in high blood pressure .
A low-sugar diet also appeared to delay the onset of the chronic diseases, with diabetes and high blood pressure developing four and two years later, respectively, in people who consumed little sugar at the start of life, compared with those who consumed much more.
Tadeja Gračner of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said: “Exposure to a relatively low-sugar environment in utero and in early childhood significantly reduces the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure decades later, and also delays the onset of it.”
The researchers took advantage of a natural experiment in Britain when a decade of post-war sugar and sweets rationing ended in 1953. During rationing, sugar allowances were comparable to levels set in modern dietary guidelines, but consumption almost doubled soon after restrictions were lifted. from about 40 g to 80 g per day.
Using data from the UK Biobank, the scientists compared the midlife health of 38,000 people conceived and born during rationing, and 22,000 people shortly afterwards.
Their analysis, published in Sciencefound that rates of diabetes and hypertension were significantly lower in those conceived and aged two during sugar rationing. Time spent in the womb was responsible for about a third of the risk reduction.
The NHS recommends that free sugars – which are added to food and drinks and occur naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit and vegetable drinks – should not exceed 5% of daily caloriesequivalent to 30 g or seven sugar cubes for an adult. There is no guideline for children under the age of four, but they are advised to avoid sugary drinks and foods with added sugar. On average, Brits consume around twice the recommended daily amount.
Gračner said: “We all want to improve our health and give our children the best start in life, and reducing added sugars early is a powerful step in that direction. But it is far from simple. Added sugar is everywhere, even in baby and toddler foods, and children are bombarded with TV ads for sugary snacks.
“While improving nutritional literacy among parents and caregivers is critical, we must also hold companies accountable for reformulating baby foods with healthier options and regulating the marketing and pricing of sugary foods aimed at children. With better information, a better environment and the right incentives, parents can more easily reduce sugar exposure for their children and themselves.”
Professor Keith Godfrey from the University of Southampton said: “This is compelling new evidence, which provides further support that reducing the unborn and newborn’s exposure to sugar has lasting benefits, including lowering the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure later in life. maturity.
“The findings are consistent with our research showing lower rates of obesity in children born to mothers who eat low-glycemic index foods during pregnancy that are digested and absorbed more slowly, causing blood sugar levels to rise more slowly.”
Dr. Nina Rogers, researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “There is strong evidence that high sugar consumption in children and adults can contribute to poor health, but this new study highlights the importance of a diet low in sugar. in added sugars in the earliest stages of life, during the prenatal period and the first years of life, to protect against poor health in middle age.
“The findings suggest that public health interventions should be developed for this critical developmental period to enable easy access to affordable, high-quality, low-sugar diets.”