Limiting sugar in the first 1,000 days of life reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension, study shows

Recent research shows that limiting sugar intake in the first 1,000 days of life—from conception to age two—can significantly reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension in adulthood.

This research which is based on food rationing used in the United Kingdom after the Second World War.evidence that early feeding has long-term health effects. The publication of these results in the journal Science highlights the importance of adequate nutrition in the early stages of development.

Dietary recommendations and exposure to sugar in childhood

Although dietary guidelines suggest avoiding added sugar in the diets of young children, in countries such as the United States, infants and children are routinely exposed to large amounts of sugar, even during pregnancy, through the mother’s diet and later through breast milk. milk or special products for children. Various studies show that most babies and children consume sugary foods on a daily basis and this practice can negatively affect their health in the long run.

Analyze how early sugar consumption affects health in adulthood.z, Tadeja Grakner, a researcher at the University of Southern California, along with scientists from universities such as Berkeley, Chicago and McGill, examined the effects of sugar rationing introduced in the United Kingdom after the Second World War. During this period, which lasted until 1953, the population’s sugar intake was strictly controlled, reaching levels similar to those currently recommended for pregnant women and young children.

Long-term health benefits of limiting sugar

The researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank to compare the health of people who were subject to sugar rationing in their youth with those who were not.

The results showed noticeable benefits for those who grew up with low sugar levels.who had a 35% lower risk of developing diabetes and a 20% lower risk of hypertension compared with who they grew up with without restrictions. In addition, these individuals experienced a delay in the onset of these diseases by an average of 4 years for diabetes and 2 years for hypertension.

Protection was stronger in individuals who were exposed to restraints both in utero and after birth, with prenatal exposure contributing about one-third of the overall risk reduction. This protective effect is enhanced after six months of life, at which point solid foods are introduced into the baby’s diet.

Expert opinions on reducing sugar

Jesús Francisco García Gavilan, a researcher at CIBERobn, noted that this study supports recommendations to avoid simple sugars during pregnancy and delay their introduction into children’s diets. Nevertheless, warned that the study focused on people born in the United Kingdom and was based on self-reported health data.

“In addition, this only applies to those born between 1951 and 1956, when the type and availability of ultra-processed products could be very different from today,” he told the Scientific Media Center (SMC) of Spain.

Rafael Urrialde de Andres, a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and a member of the Spanish Society of Nutrition, said the study “confirms what other studies also demonstrate: the importance of avoiding added sugar and excess free sugars.” from any food source during the first 1,000 days of life,” he told SMC Spain.

“Limiting not only added sugars, but also free sugars has a positive effect on reducing overweight and obesity in children and adolescents and the subsequent occurrence of certain pathologies associated with both overweight and obesity,” Urialde concluded.

El Pais (Uruguay) / GDA.

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*This content was rewritten using artificial intelligence based on information from El País (GDA) and verified by a journalist and editor.