University of Surrey study links early sugar exposure to adult anxiety

A study by the University of Surrey, published in Translational Psychiatry, has linked sugar exposure during the first 1,000 days of life to an increased risk of anxiety in adulthood. Researchers analyzed medical data from over 45,000 participants of the UK Biobank who were born between 1951 and 1956, a period when post-war sugar rationing was being phased out in the United Kingdom.

The findings indicate that individuals who experienced sugar rationing from gestation through their first two years of life had a 33 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with anxiety disorders as adults compared to those with no restrictions. The study also noted that early sugar exposure can influence neurodevelopment, with structural differences observed in 11 of the 80 brain regions examined, including the cerebellum.

While an initial link to depression was observed, researchers noted that the significance of this connection diminished after adjusting for sugar consumption in later life. Additionally, the study found that limited early exposure to sugar correlates with a reduced preference for sweet foods in adulthood.