Scientists have suggested that limiting sugar exposure in the first 1,000 days of life could reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure later in life. They believe this early period – from conception to the age of two – is a critical window where poor diet can have long-term health impacts.
The study, published in Science, used data from over 60,000 Britons conceived between 1951 and 1956, before and after the end of sugar rationing in 1953. The researchers compared the wartime sugar restrictions to current dietary guidelines.
The NHS recommends no more than 30g of free sugars per day, equivalent to about seven sugar cubes. The study found those exposed to sugar rationing had a 35% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 20% lower risk of hypertension.
The most significant protective effect was seen in those exposed to restricted sugar while still in the womb. Today’s children are exposed to excessive sugar in the womb through the mother’s diet, breast milk, infant formula and solids, the scientists noted.
The UK populace now derives up to 12.5% of its energy (in terms of calories) from free sugars, surpassing the advised 5%. While there are no official limits for children under four, research demonstrates that the average UK toddler consumes more than six teaspoons (26.6g) of free sugars daily, with long-lasting health implications.
Tadeja Gracner, a lead researcher from the University of Southern California’s Centre for Economic and Social Research, noted in a study: “Our findings provide insights beyond the context of rationing.
“In conclusion, limiting exposure to sugar in utero and in early life can protect against T2DM (type 2 diabetes) and hypertension (high blood pressure).”
They call for further investigation to ascertain ideal sugar levels during pregnancy, lactation, and after solids introduction, along with understanding their impact on long-term health. Post-rationing, which concluded in September 1953, saw adult sugar consumption leap from 41g to around 80g by 1954, the paper cited, highlighting concomitant increases in children’s sugar intake and a decline in their dental health post-rationing.
Discussing the recent investigation, Amanda Adler, professor of diabetic medicine and health policy at the University of Oxford’s Radcliffe Department of Medicine and not associated with this study, commented that the research was compelling but failed to consider additional contributing factors, such as reduced physical activity, that could impact type 2 diabetes risk. She remarked: “The investigators observed that people conceived during rationing indeed had lower rates of disease when compared to people conceived after rationing ended.
“But we still don’t really know if the children less likely to get diabetes later in life were indeed the ones not exposed to sugar in utero or after birth – even in a setting of rationing.
“It may be that at the same time rationing ended and people consumed more sugar, they also changed other habits (such as) becoming, for example, less physically active. So this may have influenced in part their risk for diabetes later in life.”
Jerusa Brignardello, a lecturer in dietetics and nutrition at Oxford Brookes University, stated that the findings should act as an alert for women in preconception, during pregnancy, and for parents of young children.
She added: “This should reinforce the actions of policymakers for the promotion of low sugar intake during these critical life stages in parents and children.”
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