A recent study revealed that consuming sugar during the first 1,000 days of life, i.e., from conception until the child reaches the age of two, may increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders in adulthood.
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This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Surrey, and the study was published in the journal "Translational Psychiatry".
For their analysis, the researchers used data from the UK Biobank, specifically data from 45,000 people born between 1951 and 1956. At that time, Britain had a post-war sugar rationing system in place, before restrictions were gradually lifted. This allowed the researchers to compare individuals who were protected from excessive sweets until birth and during the first months and years of their lives.
According to the study's lead author, Professor Nouvar Giffman, this sample is unprecedented in scientific research, as it is almost impossible in the modern world to find thousands of people who have been collectively and strictly restricted in their sugar consumption during infancy.
It was found that people who grew up without consuming sugar until the age of two were less likely to develop anxiety, a finding particularly pronounced in women. MRI scans also showed that early-life sugar consumption alters the volume of gray matter in 11 out of 80 major brain regions.
Furthermore, participants who grew up under sugar restrictions were, decades later, less interested in sweets.
The study's authors believe that nutrition in early life can affect mental health and eating habits for a long time, and they call on countries to review children's nutrition standards and limit the amount of added sugar in foods consumed by young children.
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