Eat less sugar before the age of 2, reduce the risk of liver cancer by 69% and slow down aging by 2 years

Nephrologist Jiang Shoushan shared research and pointed out that how much sugar you eat before the age of 2 may affect your health 70 years later. Nephrologist Jiang Shoushan shared research and pointed out that the first 1,000 days after birth are an important stage for the formation of food and taste preferences. A British study using the post-World War II sugar rationing system found that groups that experienced longer periods of sugar restriction had a lower risk of breast, prostate, liver, and rectal cancer in adulthood, and even lowered the incidence of liver cancer by about 69%. In addition, the rate of biological aging is also slowed down by about 2.2 years.

Jiang Shoushan posted on Facebook that Britain continued to implement sugar rationing after World War II until it ended in September 1953. After that, people began to consume a lot of sugar, and consumption almost doubled. This means that babies born just a few months apart are exposed to significantly different levels of sugar, both in the womb and in early childhood.

Jiang Shoushan said that the study used data on more than 64,000 people born in the UK between 1951 and 1956. Those born earlier experienced more sugar rationing during the first 1,000 days of life, while those born later experienced progressively less sugar rationing. Although 1,000 days is a relatively short period of time, the impact of the dietary environment at this stage will last a lifetime; in addition, food and taste preferences also begin to form during this period. To track cancer cases, the team used data from the UK Biobank's health database, which followed participants for decades and recorded who developed cancer and when.

The study found that people who experienced a longer period of sugar restriction in the first 1,000 days of life had a lower chance of developing five types of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, rectal cancer, and lung cancer. Among them, the reduction of liver cancer is the most significant, with the incidence rate reduced by about 69%; the reduction of breast cancer is the smallest, 36%, but it is also very impressive. Notably, these differences began to emerge decades after sugar restrictions ended.

In addition, Jiang Shoushan said that research has found that people who experience longer periods of sugar restriction in the first 1,000 days of life have longer telomeres. This difference is estimated to be equivalent to a slowdown in biological aging of approximately 2.2 years. They also found lower levels of a protein called granzyme B, which increases when the immune system is chronically overloaded, another sign of slower aging at the cellular level.

Jiang Shoushan said that based on the research results, it may be shown that lower sugar intake in early life may be related to slower aging at the cellular level.