Picture this – you are at a party and your child is suddenly starting to throw a tantrum or run riot.
After a bit of ice cream and some birthday cake – it might be an easy explanation to blame your kid’s rowdiness on all that sugar he just consumed, no?
The thing is, though, despite many of us believing there really is a link between a child’s diet and behavior, the majority of studies so far haven’t found a clear connection, and most in the medical industry maintain there is no known link between sugar and hyperactivity.
Recently, researchers from universities in Germany and the UK combined results from 31 previously published studies on sugar and energy that involved almost 1300 people. Using the data, the researchers analyzed the short-term effects of consuming carbohydrates—sugar—on mood, fatigue, alertness, depression, calmness, tension, and confusion. At the same time, they investigated whether the quantity or type of sugar could help with mental or physical activities.
Published in in the journal Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, this new study found that the theroy of the sugar rush is not real, and that eating simple carbohydrates like candy had no effect on the volunteer’s mood, regardless of how much they ate.
Yes, really.
“The idea that sugar can improve mood has been widely influential in popular culture, so much so that people all over the world consume sugary drinks to become more alert or combat fatigue,” said lead author Dr. Konstantinos Mantantzis from Humboldt University of Berlin in a statement. “Our findings very clearly indicate that such claims are not substantiated.”
However, while the sugar rush might not be a real thing, researchers are keen to point out that the sugar low might just be a thing – as in; we often feel worse after consuming sugar, more fatigued, moody and sluggish.
The researchers hope this news will help consumers reconsider their sugar intake. “The rise in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in recent years highlights the need for evidence-based dietary strategies to promote a healthy lifestyle across the lifespan,” says Dr. Sandra Sünram-Lea from Lancaster University. “Our findings indicate that sugary drinks or snacks do not provide a quick ‘fuel refill’ to make us feel more alert.”
