Reacción a "The rationing of sugar in early years reduces the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood"

This is a very interesting study that explores a topic of great relevance today: the consumption of sugars and ultra-processed products and its relationship with the development of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. In a way, this research validates the results of previous studies, and its findings support the recommendations of clinical dietary practice guidelines that aim to avoid or reduce the intake of simple sugars during pregnancy and delay their consumption as much as possible during early childhood to preserve health in adulthood.

The study evaluated how the consumption of simple sugars in the first 1,000 days of life (approximately from conception to age 2) could impact health in adulthood. Using data from over 60,000 individuals who are part of the UK Biobank cohort, the researchers explored whether the offspring of mothers who experienced sugar restriction during the post-World War II period had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension compared to the offspring born after this restriction period.

The results show that those exposed to low sugar levels in their early years had a much lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension compared to those born after the rationing, and the age at which these diseases developed was, on average, two and four years later, respectively. This seems to indicate that limiting simple sugar intake and its derivatives in childhood could prevent or delay, in some way, the development of chronic health issues.

As for limitations, it is important to consider that the study only included individuals born in the United Kingdom and that their health data were self-reported. Additionally, it references individuals born between 1951 and 1956, a period when the types and availability of ultra-processed products might be very different from today.