Early Sugar Limits May Reduce Dementia Risk Later in Life, Study Finds
People who experienced early sugar limits before birth and during their first two years of life may face a lower risk of dementia later, according to a new study. Researchers found this pattern by comparing people born before and after World War II sugar rationing in the United Kingdom. However, the study shows an association rather than direct proof that reducing sugar prevents dementia.
Study links lower sugar intake with brain health
Researchers analyzed data from 64,737 people born around the period of wartime sugar rationing. They grouped participants according to whether sugar restrictions occurred before birth and during their first one or two years. Medical records then tracked dementia diagnoses over the following years.
The findings showed that participants exposed to sugar rationing before birth and during their first year had a 21% lower dementia risk. Those exposed until age two had a 23% lower risk. In addition, dementia appeared about 2.6 years later among people who consumed less sugar early in life. Researchers also examined brain scans from a smaller group. These scans showed greater gray matter volume and fewer signs of brain tissue damage.
Experts urge more research
Lead researcher Jiazhen Zheng said early nutrition may play an important role in lifelong brain health. Therefore, limiting added sugar during pregnancy and infancy could become one practical step for families and communities. Even so, experts stressed that more studies must confirm these findings before health recommendations change.
The research adjusted for factors such as age, sex, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, it remained an observational study based on historical events rather than controlled experiments. As a result, researchers cannot conclude that lower sugar directly prevents dementia. Still, the findings support the idea that healthy nutrition during the earliest stages of life may protect brain health and reduce dementia risk in later years.
