A comprehensive new study from the UK suggests that limiting sugar intake before the age of two may be associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia later in life. The research, which involved analysis of almost 65,000 people, indicates that early dietary sugar restriction could be linked to a reduction of over 20% in dementia risk.
The study centres on data from the UK Biobank, particularly examining individuals who experienced sugar rationing during and after the Second World War, a policy introduced by the British government from 1940 to 1953. Prior investigations into the same cohort had found that reduced sugar exposure in early childhood and during maternal pregnancy correlated with lower incidence of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
Published in the journal Neurology, the latest findings focus on 64,737 participants born both before and after the sugar rationing period. Those whose sugar exposure was restricted before birth and throughout their first year showed a 21% lower chance of developing dementia compared to those born after rationing ended. If sugar limitation extended to age two, the reduction in dementia risk increased to 23%. Furthermore, participants with lower early-life sugar intake were diagnosed with dementia on average 2.6 years later than their counterparts.
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“Our findings suggest that limiting sugar during the earliest stages of life may have lasting benefits for brain health,” said study author Jiazhen Zheng from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “These results highlight the potential importance of early-life nutrition in reducing the risk of dementia decades later.”
Researchers commenced monitoring participants at an average age of 55, using medical records to identify dementia diagnoses over up to 15 years. Among 15,025 people who experienced sugar rationing from before birth through their first year, 388 developed dementia. In the group with rationing extended to two years old (15,256 participants), 456 cases were recorded. In contrast, 504 cases arose in 23,774 participants born after rationing ended.
After adjusting for variables such as age, sex, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the data indicated that early-life sugar restriction corresponded with a substantial decrease in dementia risk. Additionally, brain imaging of a subgroup revealed that participants with lower early sugar exposure had greater total grey matter volume and fewer white matter hyperintensities, markers associated with brain tissue damage.
Mr Zheng emphasised: “Limiting added sugars during pregnancy and infancy may be one beneficial step that families and communities can take. However, further research is essential to understand how these early exposures affect dementia risk and to inform public health strategies.”
Dr Sara Rodrigues, senior research manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, commented on the findings: “This research enhances our understanding of how dementia risk develops across a lifespan and could influence future efforts to protect brain health. Nonetheless, it is important to recognise this was an observational study, which can identify associations but cannot prove causation. The Lancet Commission currently does not list sugar intake as an independent risk factor for dementia.”
She added: “More research is needed to clarify the link between sugar consumption and dementia development. In the meantime, our advice remains encouraging individuals to maintain a healthy, balanced diet to support brain health - it’s never too late to make positive changes.”