Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University

A study published in Neurology found that lower sugar intake during pregnancy and early childhood may reduce dementia risk by up to 23% later in life. Researchers analyzed UK health records of over 64,000 people born before and after WWII sugar rationing ended in 1953, finding those with limited sugar exposure developed dementia 2.6 years later on average. The study notes an association but does not prove causation.

The article explains that weight loss is not solely about calorie counting, as diet quality and biological factors significantly influence how the body processes calories. It highlights discrepancies between labeled calorie counts and actual metabolizable energy, citing examples like the David protein bars lawsuit and the role of food processing, digestibility, and individual metabolism.