Studies on the effects of sugars and sugar substitutes (aspartame and saccharin) have shown no substantive evidence to support the claims that sugar causes hyperactivity.
Many parents would disagree but the apparent cause for the excess activity is that often sugar is consumed at times of birthday parties, Halloween and other festivities when kids are just more “hyper” anyway with all the excitement and people. The NIH has concluded that there is no connection with sugar and hyperactivity.
However, a statement published in Circulation Aug. 22 by the American Heart Association points out the many concerns that do exist with current dietary patterns of sugar consumption in the U.S.
Added dietary sugars increase calories at the expense of important nutrients. This increases the risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity-related cancers, diabetes, lipid (fat) abnormalities, fatty liver disease and dental cavities.
Children should consume no more than six teaspoons (about 100 grams since a teaspoon is 15 grams) of added sugar per day. Currently, in the U.S., it is three times that (about 18 teaspoons per day). Half of it is from food and half from drinks. A helping of sugar coated cereal alone contains about 4 teaspoons of added sugar. Daily intake is likely to be even higher than this because data was collected from participant recollection of what was consumed, not actual measurements. “Added sugars” include anything used in addition to the sugars in the natural food itself such as table sugar, fructose, honey, brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses and sucrose. (Inverted or invert sugar syrup is a mixture of glucose and fructose obtained by splitting sucrose into its two parts. It is supposedly sweeter tasting and retains more moisture to resist crystallization.)
In 2018, food labels will be required to show not just all sugars in the food, but all that have been added also.
Source: www.ourmidland.com