Early-Life Sugar Exposure Linked to Adult Anxiety

Nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life — from conception to about two and a half years — may have consequences for mental health decades later. That is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Surrey, who found that the less sugar a child consumes during this period, the less likely they are to develop anxiety in adulthood, according to infohub.kz.

The authors examined medical data from more than 45,000 people born in the United Kingdom between 1951 and 1956. That period coincided with postwar sugar rationing: consumption was limited to about 40 g per day for adults.

The researchers compared people who were exposed to sugar restrictions while still in the womb and continued to live under rationing in their early years with those whose sugar intake was not restricted.

Participants who lived under rationing the longest had a lower craving for sweets, and their risk of anxiety in adulthood was about 33% lower compared with people who did not experience the restriction period. However, their anxiety and depression tended to begin later on average.

For example, the median age of onset for anxiety disorders in the rationing group was about 62, whereas in the second group it was about 55.

After rationing ended, sugar consumption in the UK rose rapidly. Despite this, the link between early-life sugar restriction and subsequent differences in mental health was still noticeable.

The first 1,000 days of life are considered a critical period for brain development. Dietary patterns during this time may influence the formation of the nervous system.

The researchers also cite previous work in which a high-sugar diet affected serotonergic neural pathways involved in mood regulation.

This does not mean that sugar consumption in infancy necessarily causes anxiety disorders. Other factors can also affect mental health.

Limiting sugar in children may also be linked to other health benefits. Kursiv Health wrote about an earlier study in which the risk of Alzheimer's disease was much lower among those who grew up during sugar rationing.