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Don't
blame the sugar for kids gone wild
Oct. 25, 2007
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Should
you find your child pinging off the walls this Halloween season,
don’t blame the Milky Way bars.
Though its chocolaty goodness may impart an emotional high,
candy and other sugary treats are unlikely causes of behavioral
changes in children. That’s the consensus of scientists
who have studied the relationship between sugar and behavior
in children. Sugar isn’t a drug. Any appearance of a
connection between sugar and behavior is likely imagined or
coincidental, not real.
Of course, them’s fightin’ words in some circles.
It doesn’t jibe with the anecdotal experiences of many
teachers and parents. I’ve heard from many who are convinced
of the cause and effect. They anticipate the birthday parties
and ice cream socials, and they brace themselves.
There’s a slim chance that some may be right and that
the soft drinks and Twizzlers may, in fact, stimulate mild
behavioral changes in a small number of children.
But that’s as much of a relationship as the available
evidence can support. More and longer studies – including
larger study samples – would be necessary to be any
more certain than that.
The many forms of sugar also confound attempts to pin blame.
We get sugar in our diets every day from the fructose, for
example, that is a natural component of fruits, or lactose,
the sugar that occurs naturally in milk.
Even refined sugar comes in many forms. White granulated sugar
is made from sugar beets or sugar cane. Corn is also used
to make refined sugars, including high-fructose corn syrup
used in soft drinks and many processed foods.
If it’s true that sugar’s not to blame, then why
are the kids climbing the walls? It’s possible several
factors may be coming into play:
* A party environment. Sugary treats often play a major role
in kids’ celebrations and other special events. The
excitement of being with their friends and anticipating the
fun may be enough to throw behavior into high gear.
* The self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers and parents who are
convinced kids will act out under certain circumstances may
assure those results by subtly transferring those expectations
to kids. Alternatively, adults may view kids’ behavior
as being more extreme that it is simply because they expect
it to be.
* Associates of sugar. Sugar is often accompanied by artificial
flavorings, colorings and caffeine in soft drinks, candy,
ice cream, cakes and cookies. Caffeine is a stimulant, and
it’s possible that some children may be sensitive to
the other additives as well.
If you still need convincing that your child’s behavior
isn’t affected by sugar, you can always test your theory
with an at-home experiment, similar to the sort of nutritional
detective work that’s often necessary to diagnose food
allergies and sensitivities.
Without drawing attention to it, remove from your child’s
diet all foods containing added sugars, including white and
brown sugar, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. Omit all
sugary breakfast cereals, breakfast pastries, pancake syrup,
sweet drinks and desserts. Do it for at least a week, two
if you can.
At the same time, avoid all artificial flavorings and colorings,
as well as caffeine in soft drinks, tea, coffee and chocolate.
(It may help to shop at a natural foods store during this
time).
When you’re ready, break the sugar fast without fanfare
by introducing a sweet dessert and a sweet drink to help it
go down. Observe your child’s behavior for the next
couple of hours. Well?
Whether or not sugar causes children to behave differently,
nobody disputes the fact that they should eat less of it.
Sweets can be concentrated packages of calories, contributing
to obesity, promoting tooth decay and displacing nutrient-rich,
lower-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables.
For that, you can blame the Milky Way.
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