– According to popular wisdom, if you give give candy or cookies to young children they will turn into rabid monsters until their metabolism returns to a normal level. Nonetheless, the “sugar high” concept is just another Parenting Myth, an urban legend. Much scientific research has shown that giving children sugar doesn’t make them hyperactive. What it causes, however, is encouraging their parents to look closer for signs of misbehavior.
– Pediatric researcher Mark Wolraich told writer Laura Geggel that the “sugar high” misconception comes from the fact that sugar is often related to special occasions like birthdays or Halloween, during which kids are particularly excited. So the preconceived ideas of the parents are exacerbated in those circumstances. “The placebo effect can be very powerful,” said Wolraich. In fact, a child’s brain overexcited by sugar intake is just a biased projection from a worried parent.
Birthday Party (Wikipedia)
