Study Says Give Less Sugar to Kids to Save Them From Diabetes
Sugar treats for toddlers and pregnant women raise adult risk of diabetes and hypertension. Having a sweet tooth as a toddler and eating too much sugar during pregnancy can raise adult risk of diabetes and hypertension.
During the holiday season, are there a lot of sweets in your refrigerator? Better keep young children and women who are pregnant away from it. According to a study that was published in the reputable international journal Science, having a sweet tooth as a child, particularly during the first two years of life, increases the risk of adult diabetes and high blood pressure.
If pregnant women consume too much sugar, the risks increase. According to the findings of the study, having more sugar in the womb had an impact on the development of the mentioned chronic diseases as adults.
After analyzing data from approximately 60,000 people born between 1951 and 1956, both before and after the United Kingdom’s sugar treat rationing ended in 1953, the findings were published. The impact of sugar exposure during the first 1,000 days after conception, which includes the first nine months of pregnancy and the first two years of life, was the subject of the study.
According to the Centre for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California, sugar consumption doubled after rationing ended, despite following current dietary guidelines during the restrictions.
Researchers used data from the UK Biobank to find that people who were born during the rationing period and did not consume excessive sugar as toddlers had a 35% lower risk of developing diabetes and a 20% lower risk of developing hypertension. Additionally, it delayed the onset of the disease by two to four years. Those whose mothers reduced their sugar consumption during pregnancy had a risk that was further reduced to one third.
What else does the research add?
Even though this isn’t the first time that a child’s diet has been linked to adult chronic illness, the study, according to experts, sheds light on how a poor diet can affect a person’s life from an early age. It also demonstrates the significance of the time period between conception and the first two years of life.
“A natural experiment inspired by the rationing of sugar in the UK provides valuable insight into sugar exposure in early life. Dr. Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, states, “The findings, which include a 35% reduction in diabetes and a 20% reduction in hypertension among those exposed to rationing, are important in the context of today, considering the ongoing debate on the negative effects of sugar.”
The analysts said the sugar limitations forced during WWII are tantamount to the present dietary rules.
Dr. Misra, on the other hand, cautions against interpreting it.
He went on to say, “Caution is required in its interpretation as the dietary environment of the 1950s includes various nutrients beyond sugar-differ significantly from the present.”
“Replicating such a study in the future may prove challenging, underlying the importance of incorporating these findings into all dietary considerations,” says Dr. Misra, despite this limitation.
How much sugar should you consume each day?
The safe daily amount of sugar, according to experts, may depend on your activity level, total calories consumed, and other factors. In general, the advice is to try to get your sugar from foods like fruits and vegetables that naturally contain sugar.
The American Heart Association recommends a daily sugar intake of no more than 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men.
The researchers say that pregnant women and children shouldn’t completely avoid sugar, but that natural sugars are better than added sugars. Therefore, you ought to heed your grandmother’s advice not to add an additional spoonful of sugar to the milk that your toddler drinks.