Does sugar make children hyperactive, or is that a myth?

Wolraich conducted studies in the 1990s that refuted the idea that sugar causes ADHD in children. These include a double-blind, randomized controlled trial that found that neither sugar nor the artificial sweetener aspartame affected the behavior or cognitive function of children whose parents considered them “sugar sensitive,” compared to children with “normal” behavior, even if sugar intake exceeded typical dietary levels.

“It was pretty final,” Wolraich says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also states that sugar does not make children hyper, saying: “Research does not support the commonly accepted view that ADHD is caused by eating too much sugar, watching too much television, parenting, or social and environmental issues. factors such as poverty or family chaos.”

Parents likely continue to make this association because children tend to become overly excited during specific events (e.g., birthday parties) when the menu includes sugary items such as ice cream, birthday cake, and goody bags.

Plus, “kids often get a lot of sugar around the holidays when there are other things that cheer them up,” Wolraich says. “So it looks like they become overactive if they eat a lot of sugary foods.”

How did this belief originate?

Some experts trace its origins to 1973, when allergist Benjamin Feingold linked children’s hyperactivity to the ingestion of artificial food colorings; additives; preservatives; and salicylates, substances found in plants and foods and also used in many medications, such as aspirin. He also wrote a popular book on the subject.

Although sugar was not among the dietary culprits Feingold criticized, many parents incorrectly made the connection, since high amounts of sugar go hand in hand with foods containing food colorings and other additives.

In recent years, studies have linked several artificial dyes, including Red Dye No. 3, to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children. A 2021 report from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that some children who consume food dyes exhibit these health effects, although sensitivity to them varies from child to child.

What else you need to know

Although sugar is excluded in this one case, it doesn’t mean kids can eat it with abandon, experts warn.

“Sugar is not justified by other adverse health effects,” says Donald Hensrud, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. “It provides extra calories and increases weight, contributing to obesity and possibly heart disease later on. It can cause cavities. It contains no nutrients and replaces other foods that do.”

So, what’s the most important message for parents? “I don’t promote giving kids a lot of sugar,” Wolraich says. “Sugar can be a negative factor in a balanced diet because the taste is so appealing. But sugar does not have a high nutritional value. So it’s not a good idea to eat a lot of sugary foods that are low in other important nutrients, but not because of hyperactivity.”