Early-Life Sugar Restriction Linked to Lower Risk of Early-Onset Cancer

Early-life sugar restriction during pregnancy and infancy was associated with a 34% lower risk of early-onset cancer (diagnosed by age 50), although it was not associated with a significant reduction in cancer-specific mortality. Using a natural experiment created by the end of UK sugar rationing, researchers analyzed 63,819 UK Biobank participants born between October 1951 and March 1956, including 40,397 who were exposed to sugar rationing in utero and during infancy and 23,422 who were not. Early-life sugar restriction was associated with a significantly lower risk of early-onset cancer (HR, 0.66), with a dose-response relationship and the greatest protection among those exposed to restriction for up to 24 months after birth. The association was observed across solid tumors rather than being limited to specific cancer sites, while negative-control analyses involving herpes zoster and cataract showed no significant associations. However, early-life sugar restriction was not associated with a significant reduction in cancer-specific mortality. These findings suggest that nutritional conditions during the first 1000 days of life may have long-term effects on cancer risk and may primarily influence tumor latency rather than biological aggressiveness, highlighting the potential public health importance of early-life dietary guidance amid the rising burden of early-onset cancer. Source: https://ajcn.nutrition.org/