A new study has found that children exposed to less sugar in infancy are less likely to develop diabetes

A new study may make you reconsider letting your little ones dig into leftover Halloween candy. Scientists recently found that limiting the quantity of sugar babies get in the primary 1,000 days after conception may help reduce their risk of diabetes and hypertension as they age.

Ironically, posted on Halloween by science.orgthe study reported a 20% reduction in hypertension and a 35% reduction in type 2 diabetes diagnoses when parents reduced children’s sugar intake early.

“Exposure to a relatively low-sugar environment in utero and early childhood significantly reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension decades later and also delays their onset,” said Tadeja Gračner, co-author of the study. Guardian.

Their study also found that “uterine sugar rationing alone accounts for approximately one-third of the risk reduction.” Implementing a low-sugar food regimen in children can delay the onset of diabetes by 4 years and hypertension by two years.

“This is compelling new evidence that further supports that reducing unborn and newborn sugar exposure has lasting benefits that include reducing the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure in later adulthood,” University of Southampton professor Keith Godfrey said in the publication. concerning the study.

According to National Institutes of Healthtype 2 diabetes is more likely amongst young African American populations than in non-Hispanic white youth communities. Similarly, 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the variety of children and teenagers, especially Black children and teenagers, with type 2 diabetes has increased by almost 95%.

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“The rise of type 2 diabetes in young people is sobering,” said Elizabeth Selvin, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, per USA today. “Type 2 diabetes was once thought to be an adult disease. And now we are seeing a significant increase in the number of children. This is a disease they will likely suffer from for the rest of their lives.”

These latest findings mirror existing guidelines suggested by organizations reminiscent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the CDC, children under two years of age mustn’t eat added sugar in any respect. Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents feed their children over two with less than 25 grams of added sugar per day.

Ultimately, researchers in the study hope that these new results may also spark changes in the way in which baby formula and food is produced.

“Added sugar is everywhere, even in food for babies and toddlers, and children are bombarded with television advertisements for sweet snacks,” Gračner explained. “While it is crucial to improve the nutritional knowledge of parents and caregivers, we should also hold companies accountable for reformulating children’s foods with healthier options and regulating the marketing and pricing of sugary foods for children.”

The co-author added: “We all want to improve our health and give our children the best possible start in life, and reducing added sugar early is a powerful step in that direction. But it’s not easy… With better information, the environment and the right incentives, parents can more easily reduce their children’s and themselves’s exposure to sugar.”