It has always been believed by a lot of people, especially parents, that kids tend to be hyperactive whenever they are given sweets like chocolates and other food with high sugar content. Apparently, the so-called sugar high is nothing but a placebo effect and a myth that many of us have fallen for.
In an article published by NY MAG, it was stated that sugar does not contribute to the actions of kids whenever they are given their favorite sweets. It is nothing but a placebo effect that parents are experiencing and it is more likely to be circumstantial. There are studies proving this and one of which was made by a researcher for pediatrics, Mark Wolraich.
Live Science cited Wolraich's findings on the issue saying that parents created this idea in their head that sugar makes their kids hyper. Part of the reason is that they often feed their kids with sweets during birthday parties or other holiday celebrations like Halloween. It is during those days that kids are extra hyper and it is not because of the sugar, but they are simply excited. Parents, on the other hand, thought the candies ,the cakes and the ice cream that their kids ate made them hyperactive.
A photo posted by Katie Elliott (@kamariee20) on Aug 21, 2016 at 10:46pm PDT
Another research supports Wolraich's study and it is a paper published in 1994 via the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Scientists sampled 35 kids for the experiment, as they gave them a placebo. They told half of the parents of these kids that their child was given some sugary food. Parents who were told that immediately thought that the sugar has a lot to do with their children's behavior. The study on this subject did not end there, as more researches were conducted proving the same thing that sugar does not affect a child's behavior or decision-making at all.
It is about time that parents start reprogramming their minds when it comes to the effect of sugar in their child's actions. Share this article to your loved ones today!
