‘Sugar high’ negated but using less saluted

The theory of the “sugar high” has been debunked, yet the myth persists.

The notion that sugar might make children behave badly first appeared in medical literature in 1922. But the idea did not capture the public imagination until Dr. Ben Feingold’s best-selling book, Why Your Child Is Hyperactive, was published in 1975.

In the mid-1970s, stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and amphetamines were used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For parents concerned about side effects, the possibility of controlling hyperactivity by eliminating sugar was an enticing prospect.

Some studies suggested that high sugar diets caused spikes in insulin secretion, which triggered adrenaline production and hyperactivity. But the data set was weak.

An extraordinarily rigorous study settled the question in 1994. Writing in The New England Journal of Medicine, a group of scientists tested normal preschoolers and children whose parents described them as being sensitive to sugar. Neither the parents, the children, nor the research staff knew which children were given sugary foods and which got artificial sweeteners. Urine was tested to verify compliance with the diets. Nine measures of cognitive and behavioral performance were assessed, with measurements taken at five-second intervals.

The study concluded that sugar does not affect children’s behavior or cognitive function. An editorial stated, “There is no evidence that sugar alone can turn a child with normal attention into a hyperactive child.” One year later, an analysis that gathered data from all published studies on the subject reached the same conclusion.

The theory of the sugar high endures as a topic of ongoing investigation. But the results of these investigations continue to show that sugar does not affect children’s behavior. Still, limiting sugar could help to protect them against obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.