According to a study published in Science, reducing the sugar intake a child receives in the womb and as a toddler may protect against adulthood conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The study found that the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life was a critical period for healthy nutrition. The researchers discovered that restricting sugar intake in babies was associated with a 35% decrease in type 2 diabetes risk in middle age. It also noted a 20% decrease in high blood pressure risk.
Why You Should Restrict Sugar Intake In Babies
Sticking to a diet that is low in sugar was also linked to a delay in onset of chronic diseases. Individuals who consumed little sugar seemed to develop chronic diseases several years later than those who consumed a lot of sugar as babies. People exposed to a low-sugar diet in the womb and as babies experienced significantly lower rates of hypertension and diabetes. For the study, the researchers looked at the data from a naturally occurring ‘experiment’ that took place in the UK in the 1950s. It was in 1953 that a decade of sweet and sugar rationing came to an end.
During that decade, the amount of sugar allowed was comparable to current dietary guidelines. However, when the restrictions were lifted, this number doubled from around 40 grams per day to 80 grams per day. The researchers then compared the health data of 38,000 individuals conceived or born during the rationing decade and 22,000 individuals born shortly after. They found that high blood pressure and diabetes rates were considerably lower for those individuals conceived and turned two years old during the decade of rationing.
Read More: 5+ Affordable Gadgets to Keep Your Grocery Costs Down
According to the NHS, free sugars (sugars added to foods and beverages and found naturally), should not comprise more than 5% of daily calories. This is the equivalent to around even sugar cubes, or 30 grams. When it comes to sugar intake in babies, or children under the age of four, though, there is no current guideline. However, they are advised to stay away from food and drinks that have been sweetened with sugar. Yet, these guidelines are very rarely followed by many. The Britons, for example, consume twice the daily recommended amount, on average.
The Best Way To Give Your Child A Headstart In Health
We all want to enhance our health and give our children the greatest possible start in life, and limiting added sugar is a significant step in the right direction. Yet, it’s not always as easy as it seems. Television ads featuring sugary snacks are specifically targeting young and impressionable audiences. Additionally, sugar is added to everything nowadays, even in foods made for toddlers and babies. Educating parents is only one part of the solution, though. Companies that manufacture these sugar-laden products should also be accountable for what they are putting out there.
“This is convincing new evidence, providing further support that reducing sugar intake in babies and newborn infants has lasting benefits that include lowering the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure in later adulthood”, stated Professor Keith Godfrey from the University of Southampton. There is significant proof suggesting that high levels of sugar consumption may lead to poor health. However, this new study emphasizes the necessity of a diet low in added sugars at the very beginning of the life cycle, throughout the prenatal period, and into the first years of life. The findings indicate that public health interventions should be designed for this key phase of development in order to provide simple access to high-quality diets low in sugar.
Read More: Elementary School-Aged Boy Goes Permanently Blind After Years of Poor Diet