35% Reduction in Midlife Diabetes Incidence
A study has found that reducing sugar intake from the fetal stage to 1000 days after birth can lower the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension in adulthood.
According to a recent report by the British daily The Guardian, a research team from the University of Southern California (USC) revealed that limiting sugar intake to nutritional guideline levels during the fetal period and up to 1000 days after birth reduces the incidence of diabetes in middle age by 35% and hypertension by 20%. Additionally, those who consumed less sugar during this period developed chronic diseases later than those who did not, with diabetes onset delayed by 4 years and hypertension by 2 years.
The research team analyzed the health status in middle age of 38,000 people born before and 22,000 people born after 1953, the year sugar and snack rationing ended, using data from the UK Biobank covering a decade before and after the war. During the rationing period, sugar consumption was similar to levels set by modern dietary guidelines, but immediately after rationing ended, sugar intake surged from 40g to 80g.
The study found that people born during the sugar rationing period had significantly lower rates of diabetes and hypertension.
Professor Keith Godfrey of the University of Southampton in the UK commented, "This is new evidence that reducing sugar intake in fetuses and newborns has lasting benefits, such as lowering the risk of diabetes and hypertension in later adulthood." He added, "This aligns with research showing that children of mothers who consumed low glycemic index foods during pregnancy have lower obesity rates."
Professor Tadeja Gracner of USC emphasized, "Companies should reformulate infant foods to be healthier options and regulate marketing of high-sugar foods targeted at children."
The research paper was published in the scientific journal Science.
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