Busting the Sugar-Hyperactivity Myth
Are you convinced the reason for your son or daughter's rowdiness lies in a box of Milk Duds? You're not alone.
By Michael Regalado
WebMD Feature
Are you convinced the reason for your son or daughter's
rowdiness lies in a box of Milk Duds? You?re not alone. Many concerned
parents and health organizations believe there is a link between a child's
diet and behavior. The latest group to join the debate is the nonprofit
Center for Science in the Public Interest, which recently released a report
charging that the government, professional agencies and the food industry
have been ignoring evidence that diet affects behavior. However, the majority
of studies so far haven't found a connection, and most in the medical industry
maintain there is no known link between sugar and hyperactivity.
Still, many concerned parents feel certain they've seen a cause-and-effect
relationship between sweets and rowdiness. Admittedly, more research would
be needed to completely rule out the possibility of a link, but there are
many plausible reasons other than sugar why a child may be bouncing off
the walls.
Where Did the Sugar-Hyperactivity Theory Come From?
The notion that food can have an effect on behavior grew popular in 1973
when allergist Benjamin Feingold, M.D., published the Feingold Diet. He
advocated a diet free of salicylates, food colorings and artificial flavoring
for treating hyperactivity. Although Feingold?s diet didn't call for eliminating
sugar specifically, it did suggest to many parents that food additives
might be better avoided. Little surprise, then, that refined sugar soon
came under scrutiny.
Then a 1978 study published in the journal Food and Cosmetics Toxicology
found that hyperactive children given glucose tolerance tests had results
that suggested reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). As yet, though,
there are no good theories to explain the connection.
What We Know About Sugar
In the past 10 years, several studies have examined the effects of sugar
on children's behavior. Here are the aspects of the studies that make them
credible:
-
Known quantities of sugar in the diets were studied.
-
The studies compared the effects of sugar with those of a placebo (a substance
without any active ingredients).
-
The children, parents and researchers involved in the studies never knew
which children were given which diets (this is known as a "double-blind"
study and helps to prevent unconscious biases from affecting the results).
An analysis of the results of all these studies was published in the November
22, 1995 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers' conclusions? Sugar in the diet did not affect the children's
behavior. The authors did point out, though, that the studies didn't rule
out completely that sugar might be having a slight effect on a small number
of children.
Expectations Can Affect Perceptions
In spite of this research, why do so many parents still believe sugar makes
children hyperactive? Some researchers suggest that simply expecting sugar
to affect your child can influence how you interpret what you see. A study
published in the August 1994
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology showed
that parents who believe a child's behavior is affected by sugar are more
likely to perceive their children as hyperactive when they've been led
to believe the child has just had a sugary drink.
Beyond Sugar
As parents, your observations are important, and any concerns you have
about your child?s diet should be explored carefully and discussed with
your pediatrician. There is often much more to the story of a child's hyperactivity
than the Frosted Flakes he eats for breakfast every morning. Some factors
associated with hyperactivity include:
Still Not Convinced?
If after looking at everything else in your child?s life you still feel
food is causing an adverse reaction, your first step should be to consult
with your child?s doctor. Extreme approaches, such as eliminating whole
groups of foods, can do more harm than good. After giving your child a
complete physical and studying his history, your doctor may refer you to
a nutritionist or an allergist -- or you might seek one out on your own.
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Last Editorial Review: 1/30/2005 11:35:37 PM
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