Read our Privacy noticeDenying sugar to children before the age of two could cut their risk of dementia in later life. Participants were grouped by when sugar rationing occurred: before birth and during their first year, before birth and up to two years old, or no sugar rationing. Dementia was also delayed by an average of 2.6 years in people who consumed lower sugar levels early in life. This means it can identify links between diet and dementia risk, but it cannot prove that eating less sugar directly prevents dementia. “The Lancet Commission – one of the most comprehensive reviews of dementia risk – does not currently list sugar intake as a standalone risk factor.