A group of scientists at the University of Southern California came up with an ingenious way to test whether sugar intake among toddlers increases the risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and hypertension later in life. They checked the chronic disease rates among babies born during and after sugar rationing was implemented in the UK in the 1940s. Not surprisingly, limiting sugar intake during pregnancy through the toddler stage has a big impact on a child’s lifelong health.
The UK started rationing sugar during World War II. The rationing limits stayed in place until 1953. As soon as the limits were lifted, people went overboard putting sugar in everything. The researchers found a big difference in chronic disease rates among people born during and after the rationing.
Among the people who didn’t have access to sugar for the first 1,000 days of life (starting at conception), type 2 diabetes rates were 35% lower than in those born after rationing was lifted. Hypertension rates were 20% lower.
The scientists note that they’re not calling for a ban on sugar, which appears naturally in a lot of foods. They suggest that pregnant women shouldn’t consume more than 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day. For comparison, a bowl of Fruit Loops contains about 8 teaspoons of added sugar, while a bottle of soda contains 16 or more teaspoons.
Research like this will likely catch the attention of incoming Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. We could start to see regulatory restrictions on the amount of sugar that food companies are allowed to add to children’s foods and baby food as a result. Even if the government doesn’t step in, this is good information for parents to know. Limiting sugar intake can lead to better lifelong health outcomes for your kids.
The research was published in the October 2024 issue of Science.
