Child health & obesity: science doesn't support the 'sugar rush' theory

Food for thought: science does not support a link between sugar and hyperactivity...

Although the stigma that surrounds sugar may strengthen the belief that tasty treats trigger 'bad behaviour' in tots, there are no solid scientific studies that support this theory.

In fact, unless your youngster suffers from a hyperactivity disorder such as ADHD/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - some studies show that sweet sources as well as food dyes and additives can aggravate the symptoms associated with hyperactivity disorders - the exaggerated excitement that tots express after tucking into too many tasty treats is much more likely to stem from their surroundings - sugary sources are commonly over consumed at celebrations where children are able to mix with a multitude of energetic and excitable minors - or from the freedom to feast on 'forbidden' foods such as sweets - parents who rarely give their toddlers permission to tuck into 'treats' are likely to experience an excitable child when they allow them to tickle their taste buds with the foods that are often off bounds.

Instead of fixating on the fabricated theory that sugary 'food' sources fuel hyperactivity, focus on the detrimental impact that sugar will inflict on your youngster's weight and well-being by increasing their risk of developing tooth decay, childhood obesity and obesity related difficulties and diseases such as social discrimination, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Although the intrinsic sugars found in food sources such as milk and whole fruit and vegetables - the type that's bursting with an abundance of beneficial nutrients (think calcium and the vital vitamins vitamin A and C) that are essential for adequate growth and development - won't hinder their health, an over consumption of the non-milk extrinsic sugars found in foods and fluids such as sugary squash, cakes and confectionery, will.

Final thought: science may not support a link between sugar and bad behaviour, but that doesn't mean that your youngster won't experience erratic energy levels (this is not the same as hyperactivity!) after consuming sugary sources such as cakes and confectionery - the core culprits that are responsible for subjecting blood sugar to the speedy spikes and slumps that will likely leave them feeling fatigued, irritable and desperate to demolish more sugary sweet treats. If you 'have' to satisfy their sweet tooth, opt for a whole piece of fruit as opposed to a sugary snack - this will reduce their risk of developing a taste for the wrong food sources i.e. sweets, and benefit their developing bodies with the necessary nutrients detailed above. 

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