Does sugar make children hyperactive?
Definitely not. Sugar does provide energy to the body; however, making energy available by eating something sweet is not the same as causing someone to be active and excited. The concern that eating sugar makes children hyperactive originated in the mid-seventies and was based on anecdotal observations by parents and teachers. A parent would see his child eat cake and drink fruit punch at a party, for example, and then notice an increase in activity. The natural tendency was to link the hyperactive behavior to what the child consumed and to disregard other factors that may have played a role. However, well-designed studies that control for these other factors show no association between sugar consumption and hyperactive behavior.
