Does sugar consumption cause hyperactivity?
There is no evidence that consuming sugar or aspartame can make a child with a normal attention span hyperactive. Although sugar does make energy available to the body, it does not increase excitement or activity.
What hyperactivity means?
Hyperactivity means having increased movement, impulsive actions, and a shorter attention span, and being easily distracted.
What foods make a child hyper?
Many children with food sensitivities can exhibit ADHD symptoms after they are exposed to certain foods. Some of the common foods that can cause ADHD reactions include milk, chocolate, soy, wheat, eggs, beans, corn, tomatoes, grapes, and oranges.
Does sugar make ADHD worse?
While limiting sugar intake helps avoid several health conditions, there is no concrete evidence that sugar makes ADHD worse or causes hyperactivity in a person. Several studies have been done to find a correlation between consuming sugar and the worsening of ADHD symptoms.
Why do parents think sugar causes hyperactivity in children?
Some researchers have theorized that it could be a parent’s belief that sugar causes hyperactivity that inadvertently encourages their kids to become more active after eating a sweet treat. Parents may simply report increased hyperactivity after their kids consume sugar because they’re on the lookout for hyperactivity.
How did the myth of hyperactivity come about?
The sugar-hyperactivity myth is based on a single study from the mid 1970’s in which a doctor removed the sugar from one child’s diet and that child’s behavior improved. Since then, over a dozen larger studies have been conducted without proving sugar causes hyperactivity.
Are there any side effects to eating sugar?
Side Effects. Some people claim that eating sugar (such as sucrose), aspartame, and artificial flavors and colors lead to hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children.
What does it mean when a child has hyperactivity?
Hyperactivity means an increase in movement, impulsive actions, being easily distracted, and shorter attention span. Some people believe that children are more likely to be hyperactive if they eat sugar, artificial sweeteners, or certain food colorings. Other experts disagree with this.