A person’s diet during pregnancy and the first two years of life may have a much bigger effect on brain health than scientists once believed.
A new study suggests that limiting sugar during this early period could lower the risk of dementia later in life, including Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, published in npj Aging, add to growing evidence that nutrition in the earliest stages of life can shape health many decades later.
Scientists have long known that the first 1,000 days after conception are critical for brain development. During this period, the brain grows rapidly and billions of connections form between nerve cells. Good nutrition helps support this growth, while poor nutrition may have lasting effects that continue into adulthood.
Today, added sugar is found in many processed foods and drinks. Pregnant women and young children often consume much more sugar than health experts recommend. Although sugar can provide energy, too much added sugar has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and inflammation. Researchers have increasingly wondered whether it may also influence brain ageing.
To investigate this question, researchers from China used a unique historical event. During and after World War II, sugar was rationed in the United Kingdom. Children younger than two years old did not receive their own sugar ration, meaning many babies and pregnant mothers consumed far less sugar than people do today.
When sugar rationing ended in September 1953, sugar intake rose sharply across the country. This created what scientists call a natural experiment. Instead of asking families to restrict sugar, which would not be ethical, researchers were able to compare people who happened to be born before and after rationing ended.
The team analysed health information from 60,394 people born between 1951 and 1956 who were enrolled in the UK Biobank. Some participants experienced sugar restriction before birth only, others during pregnancy and early childhood, while another group had no early-life restriction.
The researchers examined medical records and self-reported health conditions to determine who later developed dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, anxiety or Parkinson’s disease. They also analysed brain MRI scans from more than 9,000 participants.
People whose first 1,000 days occurred during sugar rationing had a 27% lower risk of dementia from any cause and a 46% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who were not exposed to rationing. They also had a lower risk of anxiety and depression. However, the study did not find a meaningful link with Parkinson’s disease.
Brain scans suggested another possible benefit. Participants exposed to early sugar restriction had brains that appeared slightly younger than expected for their age. Some memory-related brain regions, including the hippocampus and thalamus, were also slightly larger.
The researchers adjusted their analysis for many other influences, including genetics and family history. Even after these adjustments, the association remained.
However, the study cannot prove that lower sugar intake directly prevented dementia. Other differences between people living during the rationing period may also have contributed to the results. The authors stress that modern studies with detailed dietary information are needed before changing public health recommendations.
This research provides intriguing evidence that healthy eating during pregnancy and early childhood may influence brain health across an entire lifetime. Although the findings do not prove cause and effect, they strengthen the idea that nutrition in the earliest stages of life may help build a more resilient brain.
Future studies in modern populations will be important to confirm whether reducing added sugar can truly lower dementia risk.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies that bad lifestyle habits can cause Alzheimer’s disease, and strawberries can be good defence against Alzheimer’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
Source: npj Aging.
