| Title: | Early-life sugar restriction causally reduces adult cancer incidence and slows biological aging |
| Journal: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Published: | 4 Aug 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42550905/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2610287123 |
| URL: | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13462712/ |
Publication 21209
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Abstract
Excess sugar consumption is implicated in multiple cancers through insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and metabolic reprogramming, yet whether early-life sugar exposure causally shapes long-term cancer risk remains an open question. We exploit the abrupt end of United Kingdom sugar rationing in September 1953 as a natural experiment, analyzing 64,761 UK Biobank participants born 1951-1956. Cohorts whose first 1,000 d of life fell under rationing exhibit dose-dependent reductions in adult cancer incidence: liver/intrahepatic bile duct (IHBD) (hazard ratio 0.31), rectum (HR 0.60), lung (HR 0.59), prostate (HR 0.48), and breast (HR 0.64). We uncover two pathways through which this early-life exposure propagates across the life course. First, a behavioral pathway: Rationed cohorts consume less sugar, eat smaller quantities, and maintain healthier, more diverse diets five decades later, consistent with persistent taste preferences shaped during a critical developmental window. Second, a biological pathway: Rationed cohorts exhibit longer leukocyte telomere length ([Formula: see text]0.05 SD, approximately 2.2 fewer years of biological aging) and lower Granzyme B, indicating reduced chronic immune activation. These findings provide causal evidence linking early-life sugar intake to cancer and identify a behavioral pathway, consistent with persistent taste preferences, through which early nutritional environments may shape lifelong disease risk. The results carry direct implications for early-life nutrition and added-sugar policy.</p>
11 Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aging
- Female
- Humans
- Incidence
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasms
- Telomere Homeostasis
- United Kingdom
2 Authors
- Chen Zhu
- Weilong Zhang
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 89068 | Using genetic information to improve the prediction of food choices: A machine learning-based classification approach |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health