A study published in The BMJ found that people who had limited sugar intake before birth and in the first two years of life had a significantly lower risk of heart disease in adulthood.[1] Compared to people who had never been exposed to sugar restriction, these people had a 20% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 25% lower risk of heart attack, a 26% lower risk of heart failure, a 31% lower risk of stroke, and a 27% lower risk of death from cardiovascular causes.[1] The study was based on data from the end of Britain's sugar rationing in 1953, which was a natural experiment with data from over 63,000 adults.[1] The longer sugar restriction lasted in early childhood, the stronger the heart protection in later life.[1] In part, this benefit was due to a lower incidence of diabetes and high blood pressure in those exposed to sugar restriction.[1] Those who restricted their sugar intake in early childhood also experienced a delay in the onset of heart problems by up to two and a half years compared to those who were not restricted.[1]