Cutting Sugar in First 1,000 Days of Life Reduces Late-Adulthood Disease Risk

 A new study has found that a low-sugar diet in utero and within the first two years of life can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. Researchers determined that a low-sugar diet during the first 1,000 days after conception lowered the child's risk of diabetes and hypertension in adulthood by 35% and 20%, respectively, and delayed disease onset by four and two years. Eating sugar in the first two years of one's life directly shapes a person's long-term health risks, the findings suggest.

Previous research has shown that the first 1,000 days from conception, including pregnancy (270 days) and the first two years of life, represent a critical window for fetal development. The study references the "fetal origins hypothesis," which suggests that a person's risk of disease later in life is influenced by their experience inside the womb. When a fetus detects cues from the mother's health—like poor nutrition—it makes adjustments to help it survive, such as changing how it uses energy and responds to hormones. These adaptations can form "set points" that continue into adulthood. For example, if a fetus adapts to poor nutrition by slowing its metabolism, this slower metabolic rate can become a lasting set point, influencing how efficiently the body uses energy throughout life.

Infancy and toddlerhood are identified as "crucial periods for developing a taste for sweets (or even addiction) that can elevate sugar consumption throughout life." Significant sugar exposure in early life can strengthen this preference. In their current work, their team finds supporting evidence of this pattern. Adults who experienced sugar rationing consume less added sugar into their midlife compared to those who never experienced rationing.

While maternal nutrition during pregnancy contributed one-third of the risk reduction, adding postnatal exposure to sugar rationing (up to one year) led to significantly greater reductions in disease risk. This effect was even more pronounced when rationing continued for over a year, especially for females. This may be because, as animal studies suggest, females are more likely to develop sugar addiction and poor glucose control in high-sugar environments, both of which increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

For those whose sugar exposure was restricted only in utero, Type 2 diabetes onset in older adulthood was delayed by about 1.5 years, and hypertension by half a year. However, people restricted both in utero and beyond one year postnatally had much longer delays: around four years for Type 2 diabetes and two years for hypertension. This suggests that an infant's early solid-food diet may have an even more significant impact on health outcomes than maternal nutrition during pregnancy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) dietary guidelines recommend that children under 2 should avoid free sugars, and adults and children over 2 should limit free sugar intake to less than 10% of their total energy intake, equivalent to about 12 teaspoons. Reducing sugar intake to below 5 percent, or about 6 teaspoons a day, would provide even more health benefits, like reduced risk of overweight and obesity and tooth decay.

Gracner emphasized the necessity of educating parents and caregivers about nutrition and holding companies accountable for providing healthier baby food options. Moreover, she noted that enforcing regulations regarding the marketing and pricing of sugary foods for children is essential. With better information, environment, and the right incentives, parents can more easily reduce sugar exposure—for their kids and themselves. 

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cutting-sugar-in-first-1000-days-of-life-reduces-late-adulthood-disease-risk-5753469?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge