How sugar restriction early in life reduces the risk of diabetes later in life

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A recent study found that limiting sugar intake in the first 1,000 days of life can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure later in life.

In an article published in science, ‘Sugar rationing in the first 1,000 days of life protects against chronic disease,” the authors looked at the effects of sugar restriction on diabetes and hypertension in the first 1,000 days after conception. The study took advantage of a natural experiment: In September 1953, the UK ended its long-term Decade of sugar and sweets rationing. Results may be lower in people who are exposed to too much sugar early in life than those who become pregnant soon afterward, the authors said.

They found that rationing (sugar) early in life reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension by about 35% and 20%, and delayed the onset of the diseases by four and two years respectively. The authors stated that this protective effect was evident during in utero exposure and increased with postpartum sugar restriction, especially after six months, when solid foods may be initiated. In utero sugar rationing alone accounted for about a third of the risk reduction.

V. Mohan, chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialty Center in Chennai, said the study followed people after several years to understand their diabetes status. “Studies have found that if you limit sugar intake in the first 1,000 days of life, the incidence of diabetes decreases many years later,” he said. He added: “The indirect effect is that if you don’t get the child used to the taste of sugar, the child may not develop sugar cravings in the future. Sugar intake in children is linked to many other diseases, such as obesity, tooth decay and, of course, diabetes later in life.

Dr Mohan said it was generally a good practice to make sure children were not addicted to sugar in their first few years, as this could have long-term effects. “It’s hard to say that the decrease in diabetes is entirely due to this reason, but from epidemiological data, after three years of childhood, the incidence of diabetes is significantly reduced,” he said.

“The concept of fetal origin of disease was first proposed by David Barker in the 1990s. So, this concept is an established fact,” said S. Chandrasekar, Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chennai. Sugar intake is associated with metabolic changes and obesity in children, and when exposed to sugar in the womb, they may develop hypertension and diabetes in the future,” he said. He added: “This study is based on old data and was conducted retrospectively, and there is a question of whether it can be extrapolated to today when factors such as lifestyle, eating habits, environment, and physical activity and stress are different.”

“What we do know is that maternal nutrition plays an important role in fetal health, and maternal undernutrition may have an impact on the fetus’ future risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Low birth weight is associated with future (i.e. There is an association between the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood),” said Nanditha, director and diabetes specialist at A. Ramachandran Diabetes Hospital in Chennai.

She said the publication showed that rationing sugar in early fetal life could reduce the risk of developing diabetes in adulthood. “Low birth weight due to maternal malnutrition is associated with a risk of future diabetes, as is high sugar intake. This suggests that neither extreme is beneficial to the fetus.

She said there is a misconception in India that pregnant women should “eat for two,” with people believing mothers overeat and believing weight gain during pregnancy is healthy, but that is not the case. Educating the public is key. Pregnant women should maintain an ideal weight and control blood sugar, especially those at risk for gestational diabetes (GDM). Early screening of women at risk for GDM (eg, women with diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, and previous history of GDM) is critical.