Does Sugar sway Hyperactivity?

Does Sugar sway Hyperactivity? Sheila told me the other day that she's again removing sugar from her son's diet. She's convinced from what she's heard and from her own perceive that removing sugar from his diet will decrease his hyperactivity.

Many people claim that sugar (such as sucrose), aspartame (NutraSweet), and artificial flavors and colors cause hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children. Unfortunately, it's not so simple. The conception that food can have an effect on behavior grew beloved in 1973 when an allergist, Benjamin Feingold, M.D., published the Feingold Diet. He advocated a diet free of food colorings and artificial flavoring for treating hyperactivity. Many parents deduced that food additives, along with sugar, should be avoided.* However, double-blind studies - in which neither the children, their parents, nor the researchers know which child had sugar and which received a placebo - indicate that sugar in the diet does not influence the children's behavior. (ibid.) On the other hand, refined (processed) sugars may have a temporary effect on children's performance level. Because refined sugars and carbohydrates enter the bloodstream quickly, they yield rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels. This process might trigger adrenaline and make a child more active. ** Thus, an observation that eliminating sugar has an immediate effect on behavior is truly credible. But, similar to the process in the rest of us, the convert in blood glucose level doesn't last. And for children who do not have to watch their blood glucose levels (e.g., as when they suffer from diabetes), eliminating sugar does not solve the question of hyperactivity. Moreover, the expectation that sugar will impact on a child's performance level affects the way we view that child's behavior. A study published in the August 1994 Journal of Abnormal Child psychology showed that parents who believe a child's behavior is affected by sugar are more likely to comprehend their children as hyperactive when they've been led to believe the child has just had a sugary drink (WebMd.com). Rather, it is the whole context in which that child is managed that impacts on his or her behavior. Monitoring the number of sweets in a diet is wholesome in terms of tooth decay and nutrition; using permissible behavior administration techniques and setting limits with love and consistency will help the hyperactivity. * summary by Dr. Michael Regalado on WebMd.com. ** Medline Plus medical Encyclopedia Does Sugar sway Hyperactivity?