A lot is being spoken about alcohol, drugs and tobacco. But what about sugar? Sugar is addictive too! But it’s tricky. Sugar-High is the kind of ‘foodgasm’ one gets after consuming large amounts of sugar. This is also called ‘sugar rush’.
Sugar-High triggers a lot of chemical reactions in your brain and body. Your blood sugar spikes, your body releases endorphins. You feel happy and calm.
But the pleasure is momentary.
Sugar-High do not last very long.
Once the high is gone the person feels drained. The high from the sugar drops drastically crashing the mood, dragging you through low mood. So, you have left craving for more sugar. And the cycle continues.
This causes twitchiness, spasms, and hyperexcitability.
It also makes you feel fatigued and drowsy.
So, when they said, ‘You can’t have just one’. They were right. One candy makes you crave for the next, the next and the next; until the whole pile is over.
Also Read: Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar. But is it safe?
Is Sugar-High a bad thing?
Yes. It is.
You might already know how the empty calories add up to your belly bulge. And how the sugary spikes damp you in diabetes. But that’s not it. Sugarcan also cause serious complications.
Fatty liver disease, heart disease, dental carries, depression and stress. Sugar is the main cause of many modern health complications. Sugar is also blamed to trigger acne and ageing.
Also Read: What is Coconut Sugar?
But what about the energy drinks?
It’s not just the sweets, candies and doughnuts. Even the energy drinks cause a Sugar-High.
Energy drinks are loaded with sugar but lack other nutrients. They are high in added sugar which quickly spikes the blood sugar and insulin levels. This leads to increased energy gushing through the body.
But soon energy drops drastically leaving you tired and fatigued. The constant blood sugar swings can lead to major fluctuations in energy levels. A study revealed that kids who take energy drinks were 66% more likely to report hyperactivity and inattention.
Also Read: Low sugar food labels. Ayurvedic Doctor reveals the truth!
Sugar in Children, ADHD and Hyperactivity
Children are meant to be active but some are just hyperactive.
Hyperactivity means an abrupt increase in impulse action. It can lead to rapid movement, distractions, shorter attention span, increased movement. Children with hyperactivity often suffer from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Study Speaks
In a new study in the Academic Pediatrics journal, 1649 middle school students were interviewed regarding their consumption of sugary beverages. The study concluded that for every sweetened drink, the student’s risk of hyperactivity and inattention increased by 14%.
There are several such studies that found a direct link between consumption of sugar, hyperactivity and ADHD. ADHD affects nearly 1 in 10 children.
But not all of them are affected by sugar.
There are several studies on both sides of the coin. Some say there is a link while other disses it out. But with recent discoveries of sugar being the culprit for many diseases, this too is being delved deeper.
No doubt, there is a need for further research on the association of sugar and hyperactivity in children. However, at this point, we cannot say that sugar has no absolute impact on a child’s hyperactivity.
Feingold Diet
In 1973, Benjamin Feingold suggested a diet for controlling hyperactivity in children. The diet is free of salicylates, food colourings and artificial flavouring. Well, it worked for some children.
This is the main reason why there is so much hype that cutting off sugar is a cure for ADHD. But the thing with sugar and hyperactive children is that some are sensitive to sugar but others are not. So, it might cure some of their hyperactive nature or ADHD but it’s not a cure for all.
Sweet treats to children
It is no new science that you must control your child’s sugar consumption. Not just for the dental cavities but also for the deeper negative impacts in their developing body. Sugar can weaken their immunity, cause obesity, increase the risk of heart disease.
Paediatricians from all over are now recommending children to avoid sugary drinks. And Ayurveda has always been an advocate of natural sources of food, particularly getting the glucose from fruits.
Conclusion: Control the sugar rush
As much as you despise drugs and alcohol for your kids, you should hate the sugar too. There are several pieces of research that links sugar rush to ADHD and hyperactivity. Though the evidence is sparse on this subject, refined and processed sugar is in all a bad thing.
More than one-third of the teens regularly consume carbonated beverages, energy drinks, sweetened dishes as much as 26 spoonfuls of sugar. If that is not a slow poison than what is? From obesity to diabetes to cancer and all the other diseases sugar bears the blame!
So, whether you are an adult having a sweet tooth or a parent with a hyperactive kid, you might want to cut on the sugary stuff for good! At least, that’s what I recommend. Switch the processed and refined sugar with jaggery powder. And add on natural fruits to your diet for the glucose.
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