Despite being allowed sweets and fizzy drinks, I am pretty sure my kids have never had a 'sugar rush'. Does it really exist or do modern parents just think it does?

[Enid]

I cannot think of a time when my children have bounced off the walls after eating anything sugary.

Does sugar affect different children differently?

Is a 'sugar rush' a known phenomenon? I know it raises blood sugar temporarily but does that always cause children to become unmanageable?

And if it does exist, why do kids seem to grow out of it? Eg teenagers eating shite and drinking coke and seemingly never having a sugar rush, in fact finding it hard to get out of bed ?

I'm not convinced it exists either. DS and DD have never bounced off the walls even after the most sugar laden feast anyway.

They grow out of it. Dd had dreadful sugar rushes if she had sugary drinks/chocolate/sweets ect when she was around 1.6 but 2yrs later and she doesn't really any more. I think their systems learn to metabolise it more effectively or they just naturally use up more energy.

I do still notice that she won't sleep early enough if she has had something sugary in the evening.

But it is a known phenomenon, it is they whole concept that the GI diet is based on.

not in my children so thought it a a myth until saw friend give her daughter a biscuit and then she started laughing manically and climbing the walls - friend said this alwasy happens so I think it depends on the child

If my dh eats skittles or drinks cherry coke, he is bouncing of the walls, and my neice who is a very shy 16 year old acts raging drunk after drinking cola.

I probably should have said I'm not convinced it exists for my children (I do hate it when anyone over generalises, so that should include me as well ).

I'd be interested to know if it's the sugar or the additives/colourings, or both. My kids have all had episodes where they've been bouncing off the ceiling after eating sweets, but don't react quite so much (although still slightly) with chocolate. And DD (17) still gets hyper after sweet eating, so at least one teenage disproves your rule - but from what you say, it must vary by individual child which is weird. It's the caffeine in Coke that has a really scary effect on my kids - DS2 (8) had 3 cupfuls at a school disco (despite knowing full well I'd banned him from it) and was awake until 1 am, high as a kite - I was far from happy.

I think it does exist - I find even now that if I am flagging a sugary snack gives me enough energy to complete the task, and obviously kids are prone to use up excess energy in more boisterous ways!

But I also think people confuse the effect of the sugar with the effect of other stuff in the sweets (eg the caffeine in coke probably has more effect on kids than the sugar).

oops, x-posted with hassled

I get sugar rushes. And I certainly see this effect in my kids, even with non-caffeinated, non-coloured sugary things. But I am a future diabetic, so this may be a factor?

the GI diet is based on blood sugar levels remaining stablised - yes I can see how sugary stuff spikes children's blood sugar

but does this spike have a detrimental effect on behaviour>

'Detrimental' is a loaded word. I would bet it depends on the child. Sugar rushes make me giddy and silly (and people on here have noticed when I have posted, hopped-up on fudge ) ... I'd guess how strong a rush a kid gets, and what sort of behaviour results, would depend on the child and your expectations.

I mean, if you expect children to be seen and not heard, and you end up with a giant power struggle when they want to run around and shout 'bum!' after having some sweets, things will go much worse than if you like them being energetic, and join in with the running around.

Oh it does yes sir it does. DS(4) had a mega meltdown the other day just before bed. Was fine one minute and the next he turned into a screaming enraged monster. Convinced it was because he'd had about 10 sweets from a party bag.
And before you all jump on me, no he is not normally allowed that many sweets.

now you see I would immediately conclude that my child was knackered and overtired frmo the party

wuold not even consider the sweets (mainly as dd2 at 4 is quite capable of having mega meltdowns despite super healthy supper)

dd doesn't but i do think she has an adverse rection to additives. her mood has been shocking recently and she's having a skin reaction and i discovered last week that what playschool call 'juice' in her food diary is actually cordial

have been bringing them juice to give her and things have improved

NONONONO
it is all rubbish apparantly

I saw a programme about kids and food recently that investigated just this. It concluded that it made no difference as only a certain amount of sugar could get to the brain (or something like that)

They did an experiment where they took 2 kids to a party and told their parents they were having lots of sugar, then another party where they told the parents it was all healthy food. They then switched the food without telling the parents.

At the sugary food party (which the parents thought was good food one) they had bouncy castle and lots of hectic activities. They were mad afterwards which parents put down to sugar rush

Then at the good food party (which parents thought was sugary) they had calmer activities but the kids ate the equiv. of about half a bag of sugar each but were fine

I try to avoid sweets soon before bed. Certainly in any quantity.

Thing is, I'm sure tiredness, sweets, frustration, the general urge to be weird and annoy us, all combine to produce interesting results ...

interesting

I think if sweets and fizz replace proper food and water then it can be a problem

eg if the dds drink lotrs of ribena they dont eat so much supper then they get all scratchy and cross

No but this wasn't your ordinary kind of meltdown. He really was not himself. Like he'd been posessed.

yes both my older ones have done that

could be combo of sweets and tiredness

NQC - we definitely won't be repeating the experience.

I don't think that it always makes all children react badly. I do think that some children can be badly affected.

I have seen children, often those with a dx of ADHD, get totaly beside themselves after a lunch of fizzy, additive laden, pop and sweets. They behavious was way beyond the normal range that you might expect, and was actually quite cruel to see.

It must be something some bodies are prone to and others are not as I have never noticed my children's behaviour change after eating sugar and I am quite liberal on this issue and allow them a fair amount of sugar (eg, we always have cake for Sunday tea, and they have chocolate most nights just before bed).

I have found myself that I do not react to so-called stimulants such as tea and coffee (I could drink a bucket load of coffee and still sleep immediately afterwards) and I also do not find local anaesthetics work well on me (I usually need twice the normal dose) so maybe all these things are related?

Nope - definately a real thing. GS had a birthday party at school and ate things that we don't have at home (lots of sugar). He was unbelievable - completely travelled around the entire living room without touching the floor (furniture to furniture), very loud screaming and shouting, laughing manically, etc. I had a appt. at the docs and took GS with me - even the doc just looked at him and said " goodness is this is normal...is he always like this?"