Early Sugar Exposure Linked to Adult Anxiety in Study

A University of Surrey study of 45,000 UK Biobank participants links sugar in a child's first 1,000 days to a higher risk of anxiety as an adult.

According to the New York Post, researchers at the University of Surrey analyzed medical data from more than 45,000 UK Biobank participants and found that exposure to sugar during the first 1,000 days of life — in utero through age two — increases the risk of developing anxiety in adulthood. Lead author Dr. Hana Navratilova said the team wanted to understand whether sugar in early life could contribute to depression and anxiety later on. The Post reports sugar intake in early life also significantly impacted brain development in 11 of 80 brain regions studied.

The New York Post notes the design hinged on a rare natural experiment: participants born between 1951 and 1956 lived through the end of post-war sugar rationing, so many grew up without excess sugar before it was slowly phased back in. Those never heavily exposed in utero and through their first two years had the lowest anxiety risk, and women with unrestricted early sugar exposure were more likely to develop anxiety. Study author Professor Nophar Geifman told the paper that despite increased consumption after rationing ended, early nutritional environments appear to have lasting relevance for mental health.

One of the more striking findings, per the New York Post, is behavioral: participants who were not exposed to sugar for the longest time — in utero and up to 24 months of age — reported a lower preference for sweet foods as adults. That suggests early nutrition may shape long-run diet itself, not just mental health. The paper adds that major health bodies, including the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services, recommend kids consume under 25 grams of sugar daily, though many eat roughly 68 to 81 grams thanks to ultra-processed foods.

The findings land as policymakers try to cut sugar and ultra-processed foods from children's diets. Stanford Medicine researchers, reported by Medical Xpress, found California's Real Food, Healthy Kids Act — phasing out certain ultra-processed school foods starting July 2029, with full compliance by July 1, 2035 — faces steep hurdles: budgets, staffing, procurement, and kitchens built only for heat-and-serve meals. Fresno's nutrition services director Amanda Harvey said even dye-free pickles proved pricey and prone to shortages, and retrofitting 50 elementary kitchens for scratch cooking would have cost millions.