Does sugar make children hyperactive? Studies say it's a myth: MEDICINE AND HEALTH: Science Times

"If you look at the evidence peer reviewed, we can not say that sugar absolutely makes kids hyperactive, however, you can not deny that sugar can have a slight effect" on behavior, said Kristi L. King, pediatric chief dietician at Texas Children's Children. Hospital and spokesperson of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

In the 1900s, an badysis examined about 16 studies on the effects of sugar in children. Research published in the medical journal JAMA concluded that sugar has no effect on cognitive performance or on children's behavior. "However, a slight effect of sugar or effects on subsets of children can not be excluded," the article says.

Like adults, some children may be more sensitive to increased blood sugar than other children of the same age. This could mean that they are more likely to become active when they consume sugar.

According to Jill Castle, an infant nutrition expert and a dietitian who teaches the parenting course called the ADHD diet for children, a small percentage of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be sensitive to sugar and its general behavior may change if they consume it. "They can become more aggressive or hyperactive or difficult to breed," Castle explained. Reducing sugar in their diet can be beneficial for these children.

According to Castle, foods high in sugar can be equivalent to high amounts of artificial flavors, food dyes or other additives that could be very problematic for a child diagnosed with ADHD. It's hard to understand that sugar is the reason behind this behavior.

Researchers have no way of knowing whether there is a link between sugar and ADHD in children, which complicates the situation. "Is there a biomarker? A hormone level?" King asked. "It's discouraging for parents … they want answers, and unfortunately, nutrition is such an individual thing."

In a study from the 1990s, researchers gave children a drink containing a sugar substitute. A group of parents learned that their children had consumed a high-sugar drink, the other group was informed of the truth. Parents who had learned that their children consumed a lot of sugar said that their children were more hyperactive, even if they did not take sugar.

"Just thinking that their children are consuming sugar has made mothers perceive their children to be more hyperactive," said King.

"When children eat sugar, it's usually something fun: holidays, birthdays, celebrations, there's already all this excitement," she said. "I do not think you can say that sugar made them run and play with friends … It would be very difficult to separate."