From: dcoder@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Request: Information on effects of sugar on mood
Reply-To: dave@nucleus.immunol.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 21:50:56 GMT

In article <cindy.139@berkp.uadv.uci.edu>  writes:
I've noticed that whenever my 3 1/2yo son has even a small amount of
sugar, he undergoes a drastic change in mood and activity level.
He becomes hyperactive (he's isn't normally) and mean-spirited.
He bounces on the furniture, dashes about aimlessly, throws hard
objects at the family, and has a glassy-eyed look that leads me to
believe that he is oblivious to anything I say to him.  Has anyone
else experienced this?  Does anyone know what causes it?  For now,
I'm trying to eliminate sugar from his diet, but I'm wondering if he
will eventually grow out of this.  No one else in the family has
this condition.

- Cindy Windham

------------
This has been a popular claim based (as many have pointed out) on anecdotal  
evidence rather than properly controlled trials. (When confronted with this  
many times it gets tiresome, hence the negative reactions of some.)

The best evidence thus far cannot demonstrate any relationship.  Abstracts of  
some recent evidence follow. (Note: If you're serious, read the article; an  
abstract is just that. I append them here as a service to the readers of this  
newsgroup since it is very easy for me to do.)

         Document 1 
AN   89327712.  8908A.
AU   Roshon-M-S.  Hagen-R-L.
IN   Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee
     32306.
TI   Sugar consumption, locomotion, task orientation, and learning in
     preschool children.
SO   J-Abnorm-Child-Psychol.  1989 Jun.  17(3).  P 349-57.
LG   Eng.
AB   A challenge design was employed to investigate the effect of sucrose
     consumption on the behavior of 12 preschool children. On separate
     experimental days, subjects were tested individually with either a
     challenge sucrose drink (2 gm/kg body weight) or a placebo drink
     sweetened with aspartame. Fifteen-minute observations of each child
     during free play were made at 15, 45, and 75 minutes after ingestion
     of the drink. Assessment with a paired-associate learning task was
     made before ingestion and at 30, 60, and 90 minutes after ingestion.
     This study was a partial replication and extension of one of the few
     studies in the literature that has found an effect of sucrose on the
     behavior of normal children. On all dependent measures (locomotion,
     task orientation, and learning), the study failed to obtain
     significant differences between the two conditions.
MJ   ATTENTION-DEFICIT-DISORDER-WITH-HYPERACTIVITY: et.
     DIETARY-CARBOHYDRATES: ad.  LEARNING-DISORDERS: et.
MN   ATTENTION.  ATTENTION-DEFICIT-DISORDER-WITH-HYPERACTIVITY: px.
     CHILD-PRESCHOOL.  CLINICAL-TRIALS.  DOUBLE-BLIND-METHOD.  FEMALE.
     HUMAN.  LEARNING-DISORDERS: px.  MALE.  MOTOR-ACTIVITY.
     RISK-FACTORS.
PT   CLINICAL-TRIAL.  JOURNAL-ARTICLE.
JC   H33.
SB   M.
IS   0091-0627
YR   89

         Document 2 
AN   89075132.  8901A.
AU   Mahan-L-K.  Chase-M.  Furukawa-C-T.  Sulzbacher-S.  Shapiro-G-G.
     Pierson-W-E.  Bierman-C-W.
IN   University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle.
TI   Sugar "allergy" and children's behavior.
SO   Ann-Allergy.  1988 Dec.  61(6).  P 453-8.
LG   Eng.
AB   Sixteen children whose behavior was said to become aggressive, overly
     active, loud, and noncompliant when ingesting sugar were tested.
     Sugar-free home diet was maintained and an "open" challenge to a
     large dose (3 g/kg) of candy bar sucrose was given. Subsequent
     behavior was noted by actometer, quantitative playroom observation
     using several standard behavioral tests, and ability to do maze
     drawings. No significant changes were found on the open challenge
     test. A slight change from baseline was noted in seven cases on three
     or four behavioral parameters. Five of these children agreed to a
     double-blind challenge test utilizing lemon-flavored slushes of
     sucrose, honey, tapioca starch, or aspartame, administered after a
     standard lunch free of sucrose. One child reacted to both sucrose and
     honey and another child reacted only to sucrose. These two children
     were challenged a second time. The child who reacted to honey again
     did so according to actometer readings, but this time not by Stony
     Brook test. To sugar, he reacted only at the 70-minute Stony Brook.
     The other child reacted to placebo instead of sucrose when
     rechallenged. The results indicate that high doses of sugar are not
     related to abnormal behavior. "Open" challenge was sufficient to rule
     out such a relationship in most instances. A repeated double-blind
     challenge confirmed the absence of a sugar effect in cases showing
     initial possibility of response.
MJ   CARBOHYDRATES: ae.  CHILD-BEHAVIOR: de.
     CHILD-BEHAVIOR-DISORDERS: et.  FOOD-HYPERSENSITIVITY: et.
MN   CHILD.  CHILD-BEHAVIOR-DISORDERS: im.  CHILD-PRESCHOOL.
     CLINICAL-TRIALS.  DOUBLE-BLIND-METHOD.  FEMALE.  HUMAN.  MALE.
     SUPPORT-NON-US-GOV'T.
PT   CLINICAL-TRIAL.  JOURNAL-ARTICLE.
JC   4XC.
SB   M.
IS   0003-4738
YR   88
Xref: sparky sci.med.nutrition:1361 sci.med:21221