New study finds that giving less sugar for kids under two lowers dementia risk

Experts say exposure to sugar in the womb and early life may affect how the baby receives nutrients as well as metabolic processes. Photo: dpa

Limiting sugar before the age of two is linked to a lower risk of dementia later in life, research suggests.

A study based on almost 65,000 people from Britain found that sugar rationing may be linked to more than a fifth lower chance of dementia.

Experts suggested exposure to sugar in the womb and early life may affect how the baby receives nutrients as well as metabolic processes.

The new study used UK Biobank data, which includes people exposed to sugar rationing as a result of the Second World War.

In 1940, the British government began rationing certain foods, including sugar, and this lasted until 1953.

Previous studies on the same group found they were less likely to suffer conditions such as heart attack, heart failure and stroke if they had little sugar in early childhood and if their mothers had little sugar in pregnancy.

In the latest research, published in the journal Neurology , experts looked at 64,737 people who were born before and after sugar rationing in the UK.

They found people who experienced sugar rationing before birth and up to age one had a 21% lower risk of dementia compared with people born after sugar rationing.

If sugar was restricted up to the age of two, the drop was bigger at 23%.

Those people with lower sugar intake also developed dementia an average of 2.6 years later, the research found.

"Our findings suggest that limiting sugar during the earliest stages of life may have lasting benefits for brain health,” said study author Jiazhen Zheng, from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Guangzhou, China.

"These results highlight the potential importance of early-life nutrition in reducing the risk of dementia decades later.”

Starting when those in the study were an average age of 55, researchers used medical records to determine which of them were diagnosed with dementia up to 15 years later.

Of 15,025 who experienced sugar rationing before birth and during their first year of life, 388 developed dementia.

Meanwhile, of the 15,256 who experienced sugar rationing before birth and during their first two years of life, 456 developed dementia.

And of 23,774 born after sugar rationing, 504 developed dementia.

Further study needed

After adjusting for age, sex and health factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, researchers found that people who experienced sugar rationing before birth and in the first years of life had a reduced dementia risk of more than a fifth.

A smaller group of participants also had brain scans.

People with less sugar in early life had higher total grey matter volume and lower levels of white matter "hyperintensities”, a marker of brain tissue damage.

Zheng said: "Limiting added sugars during pregnancy and infancy may be one beneficial step that families and communities can take, but further research is needed to better understand how these early exposures influence dementia risk and to guide public health strategies.”

Dr Sara Rodrigues, senior research manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: "Research like this helps us better understand how dementia risk develops across our lifetime and could help shape future approaches to protecting brain health.

"However, it’s important to remember that this was an observational study.

"This means it can identify links between diet and dementia risk, but it cannot prove that eating less sugar directly prevents dementia.

"The Lancet Commission – one of the most comprehensive reviews of dementia risk – does not currently list sugar intake as a standalone risk factor.

"More research is needed to better understand the potential relationship between sugar intake and the development of dementia.

For now, the Alzheimer’s research body is not changing its advice. "Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the best ways to support your brain health and it’s never too late to make positive changes.” – dpa

These kids are weightlifting their way to improved strength and fitness

Study finds that children with obesity are less likely to get well-paying jobs

Parents must be proactive in understanding their child's growth trends

Thank you for your report!

Even roads need to diet

Chinese woman, 31, faces lifelong walking issues after water-only diet cuts 20kg in weeks

Sarawak to study diet links to high cholesterol, obesity, says Abang Johari

专家表示，胎儿时期和生命早期接触糖分可能会影响婴儿吸收营养的方式以及新陈代谢过程。图片：德新社

研究表明，两岁前限制糖的摄入与日后患痴呆症的风险降低有关。

一项基于英国近 65,000 人的研究发现，糖的限食可能与患痴呆症的几率降低五分之一以上有关。

专家认为，子宫内和生命早期接触糖分可能会影响婴儿获取营养的方式以及新陈代谢过程。

这项新研究使用了英国生物银行的数据，其中包括因二战而实行糖配给制的人们。

1940年，英国政府开始对某些食品实行配给制，包括糖，这种情况一直持续到1953年。

先前对同一组人群的研究发现，如果他们在幼儿时期摄入的糖分较少，并且他们的母亲在怀孕期间摄入的糖分较少，那么他们患心脏病、心力衰竭和中风等疾病的可能性就会降低。

在发表于《神经病学》杂志的最新研究中，专家们调查了 64,737 名在英国实行糖配给制前后出生的人。

他们发现，在出生前和一岁之前经历过糖分限制的人，与糖分限制后出生的人相比，患痴呆症的风险降低了 21%。

如果限制两岁前的糖摄入量，糖分下降幅度更大，达到 23%。

研究发现，糖摄入量较低的人平均在 2.6 年后患上痴呆症。

“我们的研究结果表明，在生命早期阶段限制糖的摄入可能对大脑健康有持久的益处，”该研究的作者、来自中国广州香港科技大学的郑嘉珍说。

“这些结果凸显了早期营养在降低数十年后患痴呆症风险方面的潜在重要性。”

研究人员从研究对象平均年龄为 55 岁开始，利用医疗记录确定其中哪些人在长达 15 年的时间里被诊断出患有痴呆症。

在出生前和出生后第一年经历过糖分配给的 15,025 人中，有 388 人患上了痴呆症。

与此同时，在出生前和出生后的头两年经历过糖分配给的 15,256 人中，有 456 人患上了痴呆症。

在实行糖配给制后出生的 23,774 人中，有 504 人患上了痴呆症。

需要进一步研究

研究人员在调整了年龄、性别和高血压、糖尿病等健康因素后发现，在出生前和生命最初几年经历糖分限制的人患痴呆症的风险降低了五分之一以上。

一小部分参与者还接受了脑部扫描。

早期生活中糖分摄入较少的人，其灰质总体积较大，白质“高信号”（脑组织损伤的标志）水平较低。

郑教授表示：“限制孕期和婴儿期添加糖的摄入可能是家庭和社区可以采取的有益措施之一，但还需要进一步研究，以更好地了解这些早期接触如何影响痴呆风险，并指导公共卫生策略。”

英国阿尔茨海默病研究中心高级研究经理萨拉·罗德里格斯博士表示：“这类研究有助于我们更好地了解痴呆风险如何在人的一生中发展，并有助于塑造未来保护大脑健康的方法。”

“但是，重要的是要记住，这是一项观察性研究。”

“这意味着它可以识别饮食与痴呆风险之间的联系，但不能证明少吃糖就能直接预防痴呆。

《柳叶刀》委员会——对痴呆症风险进行的最全面的审查之一——目前并未将糖的摄入量列为单独的风险因素。

“需要进行更多研究，以更好地了解糖摄入量与痴呆症发展之间的潜在关系。”

目前，阿尔茨海默病研究机构的建议并未改变。“健康均衡的饮食是维护大脑健康的最佳途径之一，而且做出积极的改变永远都不晚。”——德新社

这些孩子通过举重来增强力量和体能。

研究发现，肥胖儿童获得高薪工作的可能性较低。

家长必须积极主动地了解孩子的成长趋势。

感谢您的报告！

就连道路也需要节食

一名31岁的中国女子在几周内通过只喝水的饮食减重20公斤，却面临终身行走困难。

阿邦佐哈里表示，砂拉越将研究饮食与高胆固醇和肥胖之间的联系。