Cutting Sugar in First 1,000 Days of Life Reduces Late-Adulthood Disease Risk

A low-sugar diet in utero and within the first two years of life can meaningfully reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, a new study finds.
Researchers determined that a low-sugar diet during the first 1,000 days after conception lowered the child’s risk of diabetes and hypertension in adulthood by 35 percent and 20 percent, respectively, and delayed disease onset by four and two years. Eating sugar in the first two years of one’s life directly shapes a person’s long-term health risks, the findings suggest.
Those conceived shortly before rationing ended had mothers and early-life diets with low sugar intake, while those conceived after had more sugar in their early environment.
During the rationing period, people only consumed about 8 teaspoons (40 grams) of sugar daily, which falls within today’s dietary guidelines.
Previous research has shown that the first 1,000 days from conception, including pregnancy (270 days) and the first two years of life, represent a critical window for fetal development.
“This period has been extensively studied and been shown as one of the most important developmental periods for several long-term outcomes,” said Gracner in an email.
The study references the “fetal origins hypothesis,” which suggests that a person’s risk of disease later in life is influenced by their experience inside the womb. When a fetus detects cues from the mother’s health—like poor nutrition—it makes adjustments to help it survive, such as changing how it uses energy and responds to hormones.
These adaptations can form “set points” that continue into adulthood. For example, if a fetus adapts to poor nutrition by slowing its metabolism, this slower metabolic rate can become a lasting set point, influencing how efficiently the body uses energy throughout life.
Additionally, infancy and toddlerhood are identified as “crucial periods for developing a taste for sweets (or even addiction) that can elevate sugar consumption throughout life,” the authors wrote.
“While humans generally like sweet taste, significant sugar exposure in early life can strengthen this preference,” Gracner said.
In their current work, her team finds supporting evidence of this pattern. “We found that adults who experienced sugar rationing consume less added sugar into their midlife compared to those who never experienced rationing,” she added.
While a mother’s low-sugar diet offered some protection, the reduced risk of development and delayed onset of chronic diseases were most pronounced when babies continued to experience a low-sugar environment beyond six months, typically when solid foods are introduced.
For those whose sugar exposure was restricted only in utero, Type 2 diabetes onset in older adulthood was delayed by about 1.5 years, and hypertension by half a year. However, people restricted both in utero and beyond one year postnatally had much longer delays: around four years for Type 2 diabetes and two years for hypertension.
Gracner mentioned ongoing research investigating the effects of low-sugar exposure on chronic inflammation, obesity, cognitive function, and economic outcomes.
Reducing sugar intake to below 5 percent, or about 6 teaspoons a day, would provide even more health benefits, like reduced risk of overweight and obesity and tooth decay.
“With better information, environment, and the right incentives, parents can more easily reduce sugar exposure—for their kids and themselves,” Gracner said. “All that said, we certainly don’t want to take away the joy of the upcoming holidays—a birthday cake, candy, or cookies in moderation are treats we all need to enjoy from time to time.”