Early-Life Sugar Restriction Linked to Lower Dementia Risk Later in Life
A npj Aging study using WWII UK sugar-ration data links lower sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of life (conception to age 2) with reduced risks of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and anxiety decades later. Analyzing 60,394 UK Biobank participants born 1951–1956, researchers found those born during sugar rationing had 27% lower dementia risk and 46% lower Alzheimer’s risk, with stronger effects if restriction occurred after birth. Brain scans showed younger-appearing brains and larger hippocampal and thalamic volumes. The study is observational and cannot prove causation, and the findings may not generalize to all groups. Authors caution against strict sugar limitations in pregnancy or childhood but suggest reduced early-life sugar could be a long-term brain-health investment.
