Nearly every parent has seen it happen. Your child eats more sugar than usual, and suddenly they’re bouncing off the walls or having an uncharacteristic tantrum or meltdown. It usually happens on holidays, like Halloween or Easter, when unrestricted candy and treats are part of the celebration. We laugh it off as a “sugar high.” We even swear that they’ll never be allowed to eat that much sugar again.
Does research back up this incredibly common experience? Does sugar negatively impact children’s behavior?
What the Research Shows About Sugar and Kids’ Behavior
Surprisingly, research consistently finds that eating sugar does not impact children’s behavior. A meta-analysis (a study that combines data across multiple studies) found that sugar did not seem to significantly impact the behavior, cognitive functioning, or academic performance of children. The graph above only shows a small impact on academic skills—and it was positive. (Though there was only one study showing a significant positive impact, so take that with a grain of salt.) This meta-analysis included 23 studies involving over 500 children.
Source: The Wing Institute, based on the results of Wolraich, M. L., Wilson, D. B., & White, J. W. (1995). The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. Journal of the American Medical Association, 274(20), 1617-1621
Some of these studies were conducted in a laboratory and some in the child’s school. All studies included in this meta-analysis were experiments that compared children’s behavior, cognitive, and academic performance after eating sugar versus a placebo. (The placebo was usually aspartame or saccharin.)
This meta-analysis suggests that sugar does not seem to impact children on average. But are there some children who are more sensitive to sugar and thus react negatively to it?
More Research Into the Impact of Sugar on Kids’ Behavior
To address this question, one study compared school-age children who were reportedly more sensitive to sugar versus preschool children who were not reported to be sensitive to sugar. The researchers then asked families to implement the following diets for three weeks each (see graph below):
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- A diet high in sugar with no artificial sweeteners
- A diet low in sugar but high in aspartame (an artificial sweetener which has also been suggested as a cause of hyperactivity in children)
- A diet low in sugar but high in saccharin (another artificial sweetener which has not been linked to hyperactivity)
Source: Wolraich, M. L., Lindgren, S. D., Stumbo, P. J., Stegink, L. D., Appelbaum, M. I., & Kiritsy, M. C. (1994). Effects of diets high in sucrose or aspartame on the behavior and cognitive performance of children. New England Journal of Medicine, 330(5), 301-307.
Parents were told to avoid any artificial coloring, additives, and preservatives on all diets. The researchers found no differences in behavior, attention, hyperactivity, mood, executive functioning or academic performance. This was true for both typical preschool children AND for the sugar-sensitive children on any of the three diets. In fact, the researchers tested 39 different variables and found no difference among the diets on any of these variables.
Are There Benefits to Kids Eating Sugar?
Some studies even find behavioral and academic benefits immediately after eating sugar. One study had children drink a high-sugar beverage. These kids showed improved memory and classroom performance compared to children who drank a sugar-free drink. Another study examined the impacts of sugar on the behavior of juvenile delinquents. Researchers found that adolescents who ate a high-sugar breakfast, particularly those with teacher-reported hyperactivity, showed some improved behaviors compared to children who ate a sugar-free breakfast.
Finally, research also found that children who ate a high-sugar snack showed improved memory compared to children who ate an artificially sweetened placebo. Researchers speculate that the brains of children may require more glucose to operate efficiently. This could be because glucose is what your body breaks sugar into, and glucose is the primary source of energy for the brain. The increased glucose could be providing extra “fuel” for kids’ brains.
Learn more about kids’ health, including how to strengthen your child’s immune system, the benefits of playing in nature, and plant-based eating for toddlers.
Limitations to the Benefits of Sugar for Kids
However, there are some limitations to keep in mind. These experiments don’t always represent how sugar is consumed in real life. Even following children for three weeks could be too short a time to see significant results. Another limitation of these experiments is that they compare the impact of sugar to a placebo. These placebos are often an artificial sweetener such as aspartame or saccharin. By using a placebo that also tastes sweet, researchers ensure that the participants’ expectations don’t impact the results. But the research doesn’t address whether these artificial sweeteners could also impact behavior.
To address some of these concerns, another study examined links between sugar consumption in children ages 8 to 12 years. The kids and their families reported on their sugar intake, daily lives, behavior, and sleep.
The researchers found that 81% of the children in this study exceeded the recommended sugar intake. And it was by a lot: the average child consumed enough sugar to equal 22 Oreo cookies per day! Yet, sugar consumption was not correlated with any behavioral or sleep measures.
(It is important to note that this study is correlational, meaning that this cannot be interpreted as evidence that sugar does not cause behavioral and sleep problems.)
Why Do Parents See “Sugar High” Behaviors?
Though the research on sugar and behavior is limited, it consistently shows that sugar is not linked to behavior in children. But how can this be true? You can probably think of a specific instance of a “sugar high” that led to wild or challenging behavior. How has nearly every parent experienced this phenomenon if sugar really has no impact on behavior?
Parental Expectation
One reason could be parental expectation. Research finds that, when children are given a placebo and their parents are told it is a high dose of sugar, parents report their children to be significantly more hyperactive. Social reinforcement may encourage these expectations. For example, when a parent says, “It seems like he is on a sugar high,” other adults around them are likely to back up this observation (“Of course —that happens to every child on Halloween”).
In addition, as parents we are often looking for an explanation for our children’s behavior. Rather than just accepting that children’s behavior is unpredictable, we look for a reason so that we can understand it and make sure it doesn’t happen again. This tendency (which all humans have) is called “intolerance of uncertainty.” We look for explanations because we can’t handle the uncertainty that it could happen at any time. Supporting this idea, research finds that mothers with more cognitive rigidity (that is, those who might be more intolerant of uncertainty) are more likely to expect behavior changes with sugar consumption.
Confirmation Bias
This experience may also be explained by the tendency to have a “confirmation bias”. A confirmation bias means that we tend remember experiences that match our expectations and do not pay attention to or forget experiences that don’t. So this means that you remember all of the times that your child lost their mind after eating sugar but not all of the times that they stayed calm.
Special Occasions
Finally, the situations in which children typically consume a lot of sugar (such as holidays and birthday parties) may make a child seem more hyperactive due to excitement or sensory overstimulation. In other words, it may be the situation and not the sugar itself that causes the behavior.
The Health Impacts of Sugar for Kids
It is very important to mention that a diet high in sugar is known to have a negative impact on children’s health. Research finds that a diet high in sugar is associated with an increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and dental cavities.
The World Health Organization recommends that added sugar make up less than 10% of an individual’s total calories and that less than 5% would further reduce risk of dental cavities.
So How Do I Handle Sugar with my Kids?
Sugar is complicated topic and you have to make the best decision for your child and your family. Your child may have health issues that make it particularly important to avoid sugar or you may believe that the health risks are so serious that it makes sense to avoid sugar entirely. You may also strongly believe that your child responds negatively to sugar and the research described above doesn’t necessarily prove you wrong (research typically only shows what is true for most children and not all children). However, if you want to provide sugar for your child in moderation, then the following tips may be helpful to you:
4 Tips to Handle Sugar and Kids
1. Limit Rather Than Avoid
Research suggests that parents should avoid restricting all sugary foods from a child’s diet. Research finds that, when parents restrict sugary foods, their children might eat less in the short-term but become more preoccupied with the food over time. Another study found that when parents restricted food, children show excessive eating of these restricted foods when they were given access to them.
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So how do we avoid restricting intake of sugar without our child eating a whole package of Oreos at every meal? Instead of restriction, researchers recommend that parents use “covert control” to manage their child’s sweet intake. “Covert control” can include not buying a lot of sweets to have around the house, avoiding eating sweets yourself in front of your children, or avoiding places that sell sweets such as candy shops. Research shows that these more subtle approaches are effective at increasing healthy eating patterns.
2. Have Sugary Treats with Meals
By making foods like candy, desserts, and other treats more available as part of a meal, your child learns that they can be included in a healthy diet and should not be on a pedestal. Research finds that children actually eat less dessert when it is served with a meal than when it is served after a meal. To read more about the research on serving dessert with dinner and how to do so in practice, see How to Offer Dessert with Dinner to Toddlers.
3. Change Your Own Perspective
Your own expectations may have an impact on your child. Be careful about your own reaction to your child eating sugar and your own expectations. Rather than seeing all sugar as “evil,” view it as an important energy source that is essential for your child in moderation.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Research finds that when mothers who believe their children are “sugar sensitive” are told their child was given sugar (yet they were actually given a placebo), the mothers showed more controlling behavior and criticism<strong>.</span> Because controlling behavior and criticism are associated with more challenging behavior in children, it is possible that the parents’ own expectations cause the behavior rather than the sugar itself.
4. Look for the Root of Challenging Behavior
Rather than simply blaming your child’s challenging behavior on sugar, it may be more helpful to try to find the cause of the behavior (common causes of challenging behavior include attention-seeking, sensory over-stimulation, trying to escape demands, or a lack of skills, such as not knowing how to ask for help).
Parents should also examine how their own responses may impact their behavior. Are you providing too much attention to negative behavior rather than focusing on noticing the positive behavior? Are you being too controlling of your child’s behavior? If you continue to struggle with your child’s behavior, consult with a behavioral specialist or mental health professional, who may help you develop effective strategies to prevent and manage behavioral challenges.
What To Take Away from the Research on Kids & Sugar
Diets high in sugar have been linked to many health complications in children. However, there is currently no consistent evidence that links sugar to behavioral or academic problems. Instead of completely restricting sugar, you can use tactics to change your kids’ relationship with sugar.
- Limit, rather than avoiding it completely.
- Offer sugary treats with meals rather than making them a separate category of food.
- Change your own perspective.
- If your child’s challenging behavior continues, work with your pediatrician to find the root cause.
Expert Review
All Parenting Translator articles are reviewed by experts to make sure that they are as helpful and as accurate as possible. Today’s newsletter was reviewed by Alex Turnbull. Alex is a Registered Dietitian, picky eating expert, author, and mom of two. So she gets how hard it can be to feed kids.
Alex’s Managing Mealtimes Course for Picky Eaters provides parents with simple and realistic strategies. Learn to end mealtime battles, all day snacks requests, and obsession over desserts. Plus, get picky eaters to try new foods without a fight! You can get 20% off her course and help prevent or even reverse picky eating. Use code PICKY at checkout. To quickly get started helping your picky eater, check out her blog post: How to actually get your picky eater to eat their veggies.
Follow Alex on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest for more tips and tricks for feeding your infants, toddlers and children.
DR. CARA DAMIANO GOODWIN, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Charlottesville mother to four children. She received a PhD in child clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s in Developmental Psychiatry from Cambridge University, and a Master’s in Child Psychology from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Goodwin completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University. She specializes in child development. Dr. Goodwin has spent years researching child psychology and neuroscience and providing therapy and clinical services for children of all ages. She has published 18 research articles in peer-reviewed academic journals, written two book chapters, and completed numerous conference presentations. Dr. Goodwin translates recent scientific research into information parents can access and implement in their everyday lives as @parentingtranslator on Instagram. Visit her website: www.ParentingTranslator.com.
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