Sugar rationing in early life lowers risk for chronic disease in adulthood, post-World War II data shows

Early-life sugar restriction – beginning in utero – can protect against diabetes and hypertension later in life, according to a new study leveraging data from post-World War II sugar rationing in the United Kingdom. The findings highlight critical long-term health benefits from reduced sugar intake during the first 1000 days of life. The first 1000 days from conception – from gestation until age 2 – is a critical period for long-term health. Poor diet during this window has been linked to negative health outcomes in adulthood. Despite dietary guidelines recommending zero added sugar in early life, high sugar exposure is common in the U.S. through maternal diet in utero, breastfeeding, and infant formula and solids. What’s more, research suggests that most infants and toddlers consume sweetened foods and beverages daily. To study the long-term health impacts of early sugar consumption, Tadeja Gracner and colleagues leveraged a natural experiment in the U.K.: the end of a decade-long sugar and sweets rationing following World War II in 1953. During rationing, the sugar allowance was comparable to today’s dietary guidelines, including those for pregnant women and young children. However, the end of ratioing led to an immediate, nearly twofold increase in sugar consumption almost overnight. Using U.K. Biobank data on people who were or were not exposed to sugar rationing in utero and early life, Gracner et al. found that early-life exposure to sugar rationing had notable long-term health benefits. According to the findings, people's risk of developing diabetes and hypertension decreased by about 35% and 20%, respectively, and the onset of these diseases was delayed by 4 and 2 years. The protective effect was most pronounced for those exposed to restricted sugar both in utero and postnatally, with in-utero exposure alone accounting for roughly one-third of the risk reduction. The effect was further amplified after 6 months of age, likely coinciding with the introduction of solid foods.