What We Can Learn from History
What if a decision made before you were even born could shape your lifelong risk of chronic disease? That’s exactly what emerging research suggests when it comes to early-life nutrition. The first 1,000 days of life is the time spanning from conception through the first two years of life. This critical window sets the foundation for our metabolic health. Your metabolic health reflects your body's ability to maintain blood sugar control, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and waist circumference without requiring medication. These classic markers of health are directly impacted by dietary choices that influence biological pathways linked to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In essence, what we eat early in life shapes how well our bodies age.
Recently, Dr. Tadeja Gracner and her team at the University of Southern California have given us some of the most compelling evidence yet by looking back at the sugar rationing policies in the United Kingdom during and after World War II. Their study, published in Science (2024), reveals a poignant connection between early-life sugar intake and long-term health outcomes. The findings reinforce what we at the Anti-AGEs Foundation* have long emphasized that what we eat early in life doesn’t just impact childhood health; it alters our risk of chronic disease and accelerated aging.
*Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful compounds formed when sugars react with proteins or fats, either in the body or during high-heat cooking, and they are linked to inflammation, aging, and chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease
Sugar Rationing and Chronic Disease Risk
During World War II, rationing, sugar intake was limited to levels that align closely with today’s dietary guidelines. This meant adults consumed less than 40 grams per day for adults and sugar intake was extremely limited for children under two. When the rationing ended in 1953, sugar consumption nearly doubled overnight. By comparing long-term health outcomes in individuals exposed to rationing versus those who were not, researchers found that those who had limited sugar exposure in early life had significantly better health outcomes as adults.
Adults who had experienced sugar rationing in utero and in infancy had a 35% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 20% lower risk of hypertension compared to those who had unrestricted sugar intake. These individuals also experienced a four-year delay in diabetes diagnosis and a two-year delay in hypertension onset. Even those exposed to rationing only in utero showed partial protective effects, though the greatest benefits were seen in those who had limited sugar intake beyond six months of age. This study provides us with the evidence that reducing sugar intake during early life has protective effects well into adulthood.
But why does sugar intake at such a young age have such profound consequences?
Sugar, UPFs, and AGEs
The modern diet presents a challenge that goes far beyond sugar itself. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which often contain large quantities of added sugars, saturated fats, sodium and a host of artificial additives, have dramatically changed how we eat. These foods are engineered for hyper-palatability, driving overconsumption and reshaping taste preferences from infancy.
A 2021 study published in JAMA Pediatrics examined the long-term impact of UPF consumption on body composition from childhood into early adulthood. Researchers followed over 9,000 British children and found that those who consumed the most UPFs experienced significantly greater increases in body mass index, fat mass, and waist circumference over time (Chang et al., 2021). This shines another light on how early-life dietary habits shape metabolic health and only reinforces concerns about the widespread consumption of ultra-processed, sugar-laden foods in infancy.
But there’s another hidden danger driving our bodies to sickness when we eat these foods, Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). AGEs are harmful compounds formed when sugars react with proteins or fats, contributing to oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular damage; all hallmarks of chronic disease and accelerated aging. When sugar intake is excessive, AGE accumulation skyrockets. The combination of sugar exposure and high-heat processing in UPFs accelerates AGE formation, creating a perfect storm to increase disease risk across the lifespan.
Research has shown that more than 70% of foods marketed to infants and toddlers contain added sugars (Bably et al., 2021). By age two, many children already exceed the recommended daily intake for added sugars, setting the stage for a lifetime of poor health. The link between sugar, UPFs, and AGEs underscores the urgent need for us to rethink the food we introduce in early childhood.
Fighting Back Against Sugar and UPFs
The Anti-AGEs Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of sugar, UPFs, and AGEs in the fight against chronic disease and limiting our health span. The evidence is clear, dietary choices in early life shape health outcomes decades later.
So, what can we do to protect future generations?
- Advocate for stronger regulations on added sugars in infant and toddler foods. Current dietary guidelines recommend zero added sugars before age two, yet many commercial baby foods still contain significant amounts.
- Encourage whole, minimally processed foods in early childhood. Diets rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, with a focus on consuming raw and safer “low and slow” cooking methods have been shown to reduce AGE accumulation and improve long-term metabolic health.
- Educate the public about the benefits of eating a plant forward diet rich in phytonutrients and low in AGEs that impact aging and disease. Many people are still unaware of how dietary choices accelerate biological aging. Knowledge is the first step in changing food environments and personal habits.
Shaping a Healthier Future
The research on sugar rationing offers a powerful reminder of how early dietary interventions can shape lifelong health. By reducing added sugar intake in infancy and minimizing exposure to ultra-processed foods, we can potentially decrease the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic diseases, while also slowing the effects of AGEs on aging.
FoodNerd is committed to changing children’s lives one mouthful at a time by leading the industry, supporting parents, and collaborating with foundations like the ANTI-AGEs Foundation. The ANTI-AGEs Foundation is dedicated to helping everyday consumers make informed choices about which foods to eat and which to avoid to improve health and longevity for all through education, advocacy, and research. By making informed choices today, we can help ensure a healthier, longer future for the next generation, one that prioritizes whole, nutrient-dense foods over sugar-laden, ultra-processed alternatives.
Disclaimer: This post is cross-published from the ANTI-AGEs Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of processed foods on health and longevity. Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) are prevalent in our food system, and our mission is to help consumers make informed choices about what to eat and what to avoid.
The author, Holly Batt, Director of Applied Nutrition at FoodNerd, serves on the foundation’s board. Some aspects of this post have been edited to align with FoodNerd’s messaging. You can read the original version here.
References:
- Gracner, T., et al. (2024). Exposure to sugar rationing in the first 1000 days of life protected against chronic disease. Science, 386(1043-1048).
- Bably, M.B., Paul, R., Laditka, S.B., & Racine, E.F. (2021). Factors Associated with the Initiation of Added Sugar among Low-Income Young Children Participating in WIC. Nutrients, 13(11), 3888.
- Chang, K., Khandpur, N., Neri, D., et al. (2021). Association Between Childhood Consumption of Ultra-Processed Food and Adiposity Trajectories. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(9), e211573.
