Many parents say that candy and other sugary foods turn their kids into terrors. Our Healthy Skeptic examines the science behind this widespread belief.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The Claim: Sugar makes kids hyper.
Man: “When my kids come home from birthday parties inevitable they’ve had ice cream and birthday cake and you can really tell the impact it has on them because they’re running around the house, bouncing off the walls, yelling and screaming, arguing with each other and really out of control.”
Robert Davis: Many parents swear that eating candy and other sweets makes their kids unruly -turning them into terrors on occasions like Halloween. Despite the popularity of this idea, though, there’s surprisingly little evidence for it.
A review of 23 studies on the subject concluded that sugar “does not affect the behavior of children.”
The fact that many parents say they observe otherwise could be due to parents’ expectations.
Support for this comes from a study in which moms who believed sugar affected the behavior of their 5 to 7 year-old sons were divided into two groups.
One was told their sons had drunk a sugary beverage; the other a sugar-free drink.
Those who thought their kids had the sugary drink rated them as more hyper.
In fact, all the boys had been given sugar-free drinks.
What this suggests is that parents may be more likely to observe rowdy behavior if they’re expecting it.
Another possibility is that kids tend to get more excited on birthdays and holidays, and that this, rather than the cupcakes and cookies consumed on these occasions, is really responsible for changes in behavior.
Still, it’s possible that a small number of children may be affected by sugar.
And we know that surges in blood sugar from eating sweets can be followed by sudden drops, leaving kids and adults feeling sluggish.
Consuming fiber or protein such as nuts or cheese along with sugary foods can help reduce these swings.
Even if sugar doesn’t make kids hyper, eating a lot can contribute to a host of other problems, including cavities, obesity, and diabetes. So it’s important to limit their intake from foods and drinks… including things such as cereals and soda… and leave treats like this for special occasions.
Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I’m Robert Davis.