This 2024 Science study used the end of British sugar rationing in 1953 as a natural experiment to examine the long-term effects of sugar exposure early in life. During rationing, sugar intake was roughly consistent with current dietary guidelines; after restrictions ended, consumption nearly doubled while intake of protein, fat, fruits, and vegetables changed relatively little. Researchers compared more than 60,000 people who experienced different amounts of rationing from conception through their first two years of life.

Those exposed to sugar rationing throughout pregnancy and into early childhood had about a 35% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and 20% lower risk of hypertension, with diagnoses delayed by roughly four and two years, respectively. Even exposure during pregnancy alone was protective, but the benefits grew substantially when lower sugar intake continued after birth, particularly beyond six months when solid foods are typically introduced. The findings suggest that sugar exposure during a relatively short window early in life may influence metabolic health decades later.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39480913/