E156: How does limiting sugar early in life affect adult health? [SJK Audio Edition]

Read this article at:  https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-does-limiting-sugar-early-in-life-affect-adult-health/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/pL6MsH4OHmcSummary: Researchers exploit the end of World War II sugar rationing to examine the link between limited sugar exposure up to age two and health problems as adults.Abstract: What do soda, ice cream, and candy have in common? They all contain lots of added sugar! While sugar makes foods taste great, too much added sugar can negatively impact a person’s health. For instance, studies link high added sugar levels to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. These diseases often occur later in life.Because of World War II, the United Kingdom rationed several foods, including sugar, from 1940 to 1953. In September 1953, sugar rationing ended. This event likely caused diets to be lower in sugar before and higher after that date. We looked at the data and noticed that there was indeed an increase in the amount of sugar people ate right after the sugar rationing ended. We wanted to understand how being in a place with either very little or a lot of sugar early in life affected a person's health as an adult. So, we studied adults born in the UK around the end of sugar rationing who were later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. For this group, we found that restricting sugar until age two decreased the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension. It also delayed when these diseases started. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com