New research has shown that it may be beneficial to cut back on how much sugar young children consume.
A study published over the
weekend in the journal Science found that reducing sugar in the first 1,000
days after conception through gestation up to age 2 may cut a child’s risk of
chronic illnesses in adulthood.
The researchers found that
reducing sugar consumption in this window decreased the type 2 diabetes risk by
about 35% and the risk of high blood pressure by roughly 20%. They also found a
delay in disease onset of four and two years, respectively.
The scientists looked at data
from before and after the end of the United Kingdom’s World War II-era sugar
rationing in September 1953.
In January 1940, the UK began
rationing to allow “fair shares” of food for the country during the wartime
shortage, according to the Imperial War Museums leading to limited availability
of foods like sugar, fats, bacon, meat and cheese.
When the rationing of sugar and
sweets ended in September 1953, the average adult’s daily sugar consumption in
the UK nearly doubled almost immediately, from about 40 grams to 80 grams.
Post a Comment