Low-sugar diet in 1 in 1,000 days of life reduces risk of diabetes, high blood pressure in adults – Scientific study

New Delhi: Findings from a landmark study have shown that a low-sugar diet for pregnant women and infants can dramatically reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood—a discovery that fueling the growing global demand to reduce added sugar in children’s diets,

The study, led by Tadeja Gracner of the University of Southern California and published in the newspaper Science last week, it said that babies who were under sugar restrictions in the first 1,000 days after birth had a 35 percent lower risk of developing diabetes type 2 and nearly 20 percent reduced risk of high blood pressure in adults.

Using a randomized “natural experiment” from World War 2, researchers from the University of Montreal in Canada and the University of California in the US examined whether blood sugar levels during the war influenced long-term outcomes. health care.

The United Kingdom had introduced sugar rationing limits in 1942 as part of its wartime food rationing program, which ended in September 1953.

As part of the research project, the scientists used the latest information from the UK Biobank – a biomedical database and a research source of anonymous genetic, health and lifestyle information from more than 500,000 participants in the UK, together with data on the risk factors of diseases – to study the effect. of early sugar restrictions on the health of adults born in the UK shortly before and after the end of wartime sugar rationing.

A major debate erupted in April following a major investigation by the Swiss non-governmental organization Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) – a Swiss-based international organization of interest groups. communities working to improve health. of babies, children and their mothers—revealed that international food giant Nestlé adds sugar to powdered baby food in low- and middle-income countries including India, but not in rich countries.

Research has shown that in India – where sales of Cerelac children’s cereals exceed 250 billion by 2022 – the product in question contained added sugar, about three grams in total. In April, Nestlé said in a statement that Cerelac sugar had fallen by 30 percent over the past five years.

A month later, the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) – the country’s top nutrition authority – revised its dietary guidelines, advising against sugar for minors two.

“The latest finding on the late effect of sugar consumption in infancy is very important and confirms our position to restrict sugar intake for infants and young children,” senior ICMR scientist- NIN, who did not want to be named, told ThePrint.

He added: “The findings should provide a strong signal to food policy makers to ban sugar from packaged foods in order to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).”

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How effecI’m sorryGar rationing?

The authors of the paper wrote that sugar intake during the separation was eight spoons or 40 grams per day on average but when the ratio ended, the consumption of sugar increased to 16 spoons or 80 grams per day on average.

Most importantly, the breakdown did not include extreme food insecurity in general, and that food generally appeared to be within current guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture and the World Health Organization. of Health (WHO), which recommends no added sugar for food. children under the age of two and more than 10 servings or 50 grams of added sugar per day for adults.

The rapid and dramatic increase in the consumption of sugar but no other food after segregation ended after World War II made for an interesting biological analysis when people were exposed to different glucose levels at the beginning of life, depending on whether they are conceived or born. or after September 1953.

Those who were conceived or born before the end of the diet had higher levels of glucose deficiency compared to those born later. This is because they did not have to serve sugary food.

Analyzing UK Biobank data, collected since 2006, researchers have identified those born around September 1953.

The study found that sugar restrictions in the first 1,000 days of life significantly reduced the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, and delayed the onset of these diseases by four and two years, respectively. respectively, to those who were later diagnosed with the disease. conditions.

Exposure to sugar restriction in utero alone was sufficient to reduce risks, but disease protection increased in the postpartum period once solids were introduced.

The magnitude of this effect is meaningful as it can save costs, prolong life, and most importantly, quality of life, the researchers wrote.

The analysis is one of the first tasks in a larger effort to examine how early glucose restrictions affect a wide range of economic and health outcomes in adulthood, such as education, wealth, inflammation and chronic, cognitive function and dementia.

Why sugar is the new tobacco

The WHO says excessive consumption of free sugars damages food quality by providing only energy with little nutritional benefit, leading to unhealthy weight gain and increased risk of of overweight, obesity and other NCDs.

Also, eating too much sugar can lead to dental problems and their health consequences.

In 2015, the WHO recommended that adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugar to less than 10 percent of their total calories. A further reduction to less than five percent or about 25 grams (six teaspoons) per day will provide additional health benefits, the UN health organization he said.

In India, about 56.4 percent of the disease burden is directly linked to food, ICMR-NIN said in its food guidelines released this year.

Another study conducted by ICMRconducted in collaboration with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and released last year, found that one in four Indians has diabetes, prediabetes, or obesity—conditions that are largely lifestyle-related. of eating and living a sedentary life.

Furthermore, there is also insufficient evidence to confirm that feeding infants and young children food products containing added sugars puts them at greater risk of childhood obesity and other NCDs later in life. .

Additionally, the American Heart Association recommends that adult women consume no more than six tablespoons (about 25 grams) and men no more than nine tablespoons (about 38 grams). ) of added sugar per day.

(Edited by Radifah Kabir)

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