Early-life sugar restriction linked to lower dementia risk later in life
A UK study of over 64,000 people suggests that reduced sugar intake during pregnancy and the first two years after birth may cut dementia risk by up to 23 percent.
A cohort of more than 64,000 Britons was examined to assess whether early exposure to sugar influences later dementia risk. Participants born before the 1953 termination of wartime sugar rationing, and thus likely to have consumed less sugar before birth and in early childhood, exhibited a 21% lower risk if the restriction lasted through the first year and a 23% lower risk if it continued to age two. On average, dementia onset occurred 2.6 years later in the low-sugar group.
The study, published in Neurology, emphasizes that the relationship is correlational and acknowledges that using a historical rationing policy as a stand-in for individual diets may confound the results. Experts not involved in the work caution against drawing definitive conclusions, noting other nutritional and lifestyle differences between the cohorts. Nonetheless, the research adds to the discussion on optimal maternal and infant nutrition for long-term brain health.
Why it matters
Understanding early dietary influences could inform guidelines to reduce dementia risk across populations.
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