Does Sugar Make Kids Hyperactive?

Why most scientists think the idea is a total myth

Halloween is almost upon us, and as any parent will tell you it’s time for the scariest thing you can imagine - children hyped up on sugar, who refuse to go to bed.

Pictured: Scarier than any movie, TV show, or haunted house. Photo by Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash

Every year, we engage in the same ritual - dress up our children, so that they can go and beg for candy from strangers who are socially obligated to give the sweet goodness away. At the end of the night, everyone meets up back at one child’s house to gorge themselves on chocolates and go crazy with a huge sugar high.

Except, the evidence doesn’t really stack up for the last part of this yearly tradition. While kids obviously eat sugary treats, there’s no strong scientific support for the belief that it makes them hyperactive.

Pictured: Bad for your health, but probably not a cause of hyperactivity. Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

In fact, most scientists would tell you that the entire idea about sugar and hyperactivity is a complete myth.