Research: Sugar consumption up to age 2 may affect health in the 70s

Scientists examined the long-term effects of infant nutrition on adult health based on sugar rationing data implemented in England after World War II. As part of the study, health records of approximately 65,000 individuals born between 1951 and 1956, included in the UK Biobank database, were analyzed. The removal of the sugar rationing system in 1953 and the subsequent doubling of consumption provided researchers with a natural comparison ground. The analysis results revealed that individuals who spent their first two years with sugar restrictions had a significantly reduced risk of developing five different types of cancer in adulthood.

'DECREASE IN LIVER AND BREAST CANCER CASES'

According to the research results, those who spent their infancy and early childhood with low sugar intake had a 69% lower rate of liver cancer and a 36% reduced risk of breast cancer. The data also recorded a similar decline in prostate, rectal, and lung cancers.

'2-YEAR GAIN IN BIOLOGICAL AGE'

The research found that individuals who consumed less sugar during infancy had longer telomeres. This difference in telomeres, considered one of the most important indicators of biological age, corresponded to approximately 2 years of slower aging at the cellular level.

'NUTRITION HABITS IN EARLY YEARS LAST FOR 50 YEARS'

Researchers highlighted the long-term persistence of nutritional habits, reporting that individuals who avoided sugar during infancy consumed noticeably less sugar and maintained a balanced diet tendency even in their 50s.

The research team emphasized that these findings should not be interpreted as a complete ban on sugar in early childhood. However, it was stated that restricting sugar intake during the first two years, when organs develop and metabolism is shaped, plays a vital role.