Sugar does provide energy to the body. However, the fact that eating foods containing sugar which therefore makes energy available to the body is not the same as causing someone to be active and excited. The concern that eating sugar can make children hyperactive originated in the mid-seventies and was based on anecdotal observations by parents and teachers. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

Although this theory was popularized in the 1970's, well-controlled studies conducted since that time have produced no evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children. A Consensus Development Panel of the National Institutes of Health concluded in 1982 that there was no scientific evidence to support the claim that additives or colorings cause hyperactivity.

After reviewing the research in this area, the FDA, the U.S. Surgeon General, The National Academy of Sciences and the American Dietetic Association failed to find substantive evidence to prove a cause and effect relationship between sugar consumption and hyperactivity.

Further the American Dietetic Association states, "Claims of an association between sugar and hyperactivity have not been supported, even in those children who, by report, are sensitive to sugar."

If you have questions about your child's diet, you should ask your pediatrician. Additional information on sugar and nutrition is also available at these websites:

• American Dietetic Association, Position Statement: Use of Nutritive and Non-nutritive Sweeteners. http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/Nutritive1.pdf
• International Food Information Council, Sugars and Low-Calorie Sweeteners - http://www.ific.org/nutrition/sugars/index.cfm