When you are at a birthday party, you may have heard adults complain that children at the party are hyperactive. They may reason that children eat too many cakes and chocolates that they experience a sugar rush. Is it true that sugar makes children hyper? Read on to find out.
Where do you get to eat a lot of sugary food? At birthday parties and during festivals, don’t you? These are also occasions when we, in general, are happy, excited and full of energy, irrespective of whether we consume sugar or not. So it does not mean we are drawing extra energy only from the sweets we eat. Though it is widely believed that increased blood sugar levels translate into hyperactive behaviour, it is just a misconception.
Scientists who researched the effect of sugar on children in the 1990s said sugar does not change behaviour in children. They tested children over a period of nine weeks with different sets of diets - high, low and medium in sugar. They did not find significant differences in behaviour and activity in children among the various diet groups.
It is true that someone with low blood-sugar levels can get an energy boost by consuming a sugar-filled drink or a sweet or a chocolate. But not with people whose blood sugar level is normal. Your body knows how to regulate sugar. If it needs energy, the body uses up the extra sugar that you consume in the form of candy and cakes. If it does not, then the excess sugar gets converted into fat.
However, there are other reasons why you should not consume too much sugar. It contributes to problems such as tooth decay and weight gain.