Sugar and artificial sweeteners might increase the risk of early puberty in children, a new study says.
Further, the more of these sweeteners that children consumed, the greater their risk of early puberty, researchers found. “This study is one of the first to connect modern dietary habits — specifically sweetener intake — with both genetic factors and early puberty development in a large, real-world cohort,” researcher Dr.
Yang-Ching Chen, a professor of family medicine at Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital and Taipei Medical University in Taiwan, said in a news release. In previous research, Chen had found that certain sweeteners can directly influence hormones and gut bacteria linked to early puberty.acesulfame potassium triggers the release of puberty-related hormones, and glycyrrhizin changes the balance of gut bacteria and influences genes involved in puberty, Chen's earlier work showed. “This suggests that what children eat and drink, especially products with sweeteners, may have a surprising and powerful impact on their development,” Chen said.Puberty usually starts between 8 and 13 for girls and 9 to 14 in boys, according to the Cleveland Clinic.occurs when a child's brain releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone too early, causing the testes or ovaries to start generating sex hormones, the Cleveland Clinic says. Children with precocious puberty may grow quickly at first, but stop earlier than usual, causing them to be shorter-than-average adults. Long-term they may be at higher risk ofNot only were certain sweeteners linked to early puberty, but boys and girls responded to different types of sweeteners, researchers found.The results highlight “gender differences in how sweeteners affect boys and girls, adding an important layer to our understanding of individualized health risks,” Chen said. “The findings are directly relevant to families, pediatricians and public health authorities,” Chen said. “They suggest that screening for genetic risk and moderating sweetener intake could help prevent early puberty and its long-term health consequences. This could lead to new dietary guidelines or risk assessment tools for children, supporting healthier development.” Because this was an observational study, it could not draw a direct cause-and-effect link between sweeteners and early puberty.SOURCE: Endocrine Society, news release, July 13, 2025 Parents should talk to their pediatrician about the potential risk of sugars and sweeteners for the health of their children.Good parenting isn't magical. It takes learning, dedication, and hard work. Learn how to set rules, offer love, and discipline children appropriately and set yourself on the track to becoming a better parent.
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