A new study has found that limiting the amount of sugar babies get in the first 1,000 days after conception is linked to reduced rates of diabetes and high blood pressure later in life.
Published in Science on Thursday, October 31, a study found that limiting sugar in early childhood was associated with a 20% drop in high blood pressure diagnoses in midlife, as well as a 35% drop in type 2 diabetes.
“We examined the impact of sugar exposure within 1,000 days of conception on diabetes and hypertension,” the researchers wrote. “…We found that early life [sugar] rationing reduced risk of diabetes and hypertension.”
“In-utero sugar rationing alone is responsible for about one-third of the risk reduction,” the study authors wrote.
A low-sugar diet was also associated with delayed diagnosis of diabetes and high blood pressure. It found that people who had lower blood sugar in childhood had a later onset of diabetes by four years and a later onset of high blood pressure by two years.
Photo of a woman feeding a baby.
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To carry out the study, researchers from the University of Southern California, McGill University and the University of California, Berkeley, used historical data from the United Kingdom to compare the health of 38,000 middle-aged people born in the era of sugar regulation with the health of 22,000 people who were born in the post-war period. after sugar regulation was abolished in 1953.
According to the study, people born during the rationing period consumed about 40 grams (about 2.8 tablespoons) to about 80 grams (about 5.6 tablespoons) per day.
“Exposure to a relatively low-sugar environment in utero and in early childhood significantly reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension decades later, as well as delays their onset,” said Tadeja Gračner, a USC researcher who co-authored the study. The Guardian.
According to the CDC, current dietary guidelines in the US suggest that children under the age of two should have no added sugars at all. The American Academy of Pediatrics also states that parents should aim to give children over two years of age less than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.
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The researchers also noted that The Guardian that the results of this study could help in understanding how baby formula and other baby foods are produced.
“We all want to improve our health and give our children the best start in life, and early reduction of added sugar is a strong step in that direction. But it is far from easy,” added Gračner for The Guardian. “Added sugar is everywhere, even in baby and toddler foods, and kids are bombarded with TV commercials for sugary snacks.”
“While improving nutrition literacy among parents and caregivers is critical, we should also hold companies accountable for reformulating baby food with healthier options and regulating the marketing and pricing of sweet foods aimed at children,” Gračner added. “With better information, environment and the right incentives, parents can more easily reduce sugar exposure for their children and themselves.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education