Sugar Studies and ADHD

 

Just wanted to share a interesting study regarding sugar consumption and adrenaline. The study states that high consumption of sugar leads to an insulin spike which takes too much glucose from the blood causing hypoglycemia. Due to this state adrenaline is released which causes the fight or flight  energy surge. This agitation, irritability and shakiness from the adrenaline could easily be falsely labeled as ADHD. This could also be caused from not eating often enough and not enough protein.

A Yale study where adults and children were fed a comparable amount of sugar based on percentage of body weight. Blood glucose and blood adrenaline levels were measured every half hour for five hours. Adrenaline levels in children were 10 times higher than normal up to 5 hours later.

Another study involved changing school lunches. Lunches were changed from processed foods and sugars as well as eliminating BHT and BHA to fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins in 803 public schools and 9 juvenile correctional facilities.

After 4 years the academic performance in the schools rose 16 percent and the learning disabilities fell 40 percent in the public schools. In the juvenile correction facilities violent and non-violent anti-social behavior fell48 percent.

This reinforces what we should already be doing and that is trying to eliminate as much processed foods in our diet that we can, and to eat an appropriate amount of sugar. Basically more emphasis on whole foods, fruits and vegetables and a little less on pizza, pop and chips ;-)

- J PEDIATR 1995;126:171-7