Sugar Rationing in Early Life Linked to Lower Cancer Risk Decades Later, Study Finds
A study of over 64,000 British people suggests that limited sugar exposure in the first 1,000 days of life is linked to lower rates of certain cancers and slower aging.
After the second world war, sugar remained rationed in Britain for several years. But in September 1953, rationing ended and people started eating a lot more sugar, with consumption nearly doubling. This meant that children born just a few months apart had very different levels of sugar exposure both in the womb and during early childhood.
The study used data from over 64,000 people born in Britain between 1951 and 1956. Those born earlier spent a larger share of their first 1,000 days under sugar rationing, while those born later experienced progressively less of it.
The authors noted that what is most surprising is how early-life sugar exposure continued to affect people's diets even 50 years later. People who experienced sugar rationing early in life still consumed less sugar in adulthood, around age 50. They also ate less overall, and their diets were healthier and more diverse. This suggests that the level of sweetness people are exposed to very early in life may shape their taste preferences for a long time.