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Children who eat less sugar are less likely to develop dementia in old age
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Children affected by World War II had a 23% lower risk of developing dementia
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Brain scans showed that they had better brain health
THURSDAY, July 30, 2026 (NewsDay News) — Feeding a newborn or unborn child less sugar can protect their brains from dementia later in life, a new study suggests.
Children who ate sugar during World War II had a 23% lower risk of dementia in old age than children born after the diet ended, researchers reported in the journal July 29. Neurology.
“Our findings suggest that limiting sugar early in life may have lasting benefits for brain health,” said the lead researcher. Jiazhen Zheng it is said in the news.
“These results highlight the potential importance of early nutrition in reducing the risk of dementia decades later,” Zheng said. He is a researcher at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Guangzhou, China.
For the new study, researchers tracked nearly 65,000 British residents born before and after World War II. Sugar only became available again in the UK after 1953, the group said.
The results showed that people who experienced sugar consumption before birth and before the age of 1 had a 21% lower risk of developing this disease. dementiaand those who tolerated sugar intake until age two had a 23% lower risk.
The researchers found that dementia was delayed by about three years for people who had lower blood sugar levels earlier in life.
Brain scans showed that people who were exposed to less sugar early in life had less total gray matter volume and less white matter lesions, markers of brain tissue damage.
“Limiting added sugars during pregnancy and childhood may be a helpful step that families and communities can take, but additional research is needed to better understand how these early exposures affect dementia risk and guide public health strategies,” Zheng said.
More information
Harvard Medical School has more information risk factors for dementia.
Source: American Academy of Neurology, release, July 29, 2026
What does this mean for you?
Pregnant mothers may want to consider reducing their sugar intake as it may boost their babies’ future brain health.
