Sugar Exposure in Early Life Linked to Anxiety in Adulthood

THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Sugar exposure in early life is associated with the risk for anxiety in adulthood, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in Translational Psychiatry.

Hana F. Navratilova, Ph.D., from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, and colleagues used U.K. Biobank data and grouped 46,448 participants born between Oct. 1, 1951, and March 31, 1956 by duration of exposure to sugar rationing: 270 days (R270; 9,671 participants), 425 days (R425; 6,984 participants), 635 days (R635; 6,622 participants), 817 days (R817; 7,096 participants), 1,000 days (R1000; 6,856 participants), and never rationed (NR0 [6,117 participants] and NR455 [3,102 participants]). Questionnaires were used to assess sweet-food preference; anxiety and depression diagnoses were obtained from linked health records.

The researchers found that the R1000 group had lower preference for sweets (mean score, 5.82 versus 6.04 in NR455) and demonstrated lower risks for anxiety and depression (hazard ratios, 0.67 and 0.71, respectively). Across sensitivity analyses, including adjustment for later‑life sugar intake, associations for anxiety remained robust, while those for depression were attenuated and were no longer statistically significant. A direct association was seen between rationing duration and anxiety in structural equation modeling.

“What we have found is that rationing of sugar in early life is linked to reduced sweet liking and lower risk of anxiety,” senior author Nophar Geifman, Ph.D., also from the University of Surrey, said in a statement. “Despite increased sugar consumption after rationing amongst participants, early nutritional environments appear to have lasting relevance for mental health.”

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)