LONDON (Kashmir English): A recent study has revealed that restricting sugar consumption during pregnancy and early childhood can play a major role in minimizing the risk of heart disease in adulthood.
The study was conducted on over 63,000 adults born during the post-war sugar rationing era in the UK.
Researchers examined adults born to mothers who lived through Britain’s sugar rationing period in the early 1950s, when pregnant women were allowed less than 40 grams of sugar daily and children under two consumed no added sugar.
By analyzing their long-term health records, scientists found a clear link between limited early sugar intake and improved cardiovascular outcomes.
According to the scientists, participants who had minimal sugar exposure from birth to age 2 showed a 20% lower overall risk of heart disease, 25% lower risk of heart attack, 26% lower risk of heart failure, 24% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, 31% lower risk of stroke, and 27% lower risk of death from heart disease.
The findings underscore how even small dietary adjustments in early life could have lifelong heart health benefits.
How sugar affects heart?
Scientists believe that limited sugar intake might indirectly protect the heart by preventing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are known contributors to cardiovascular disease.
However, the researchers cautioned that the study, while showing strong correlations, does not establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship.
“Still, the results support the idea that cutting back on sugar during pregnancy and a child’s early years can be highly beneficial for long-term health.”
