It's common to hear parents talking about foods that can cause their children
to be ‘hyperactive’. This topic has been talked about a lot over
the last several decades, but it's hard to show a specific ‘cause-effect’
relationship between specific foods and hyperactivity. What we do know is that:
- Sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children
Too much sugar in children's diets is often blamed for a range of poor
behaviors such as irritability, anxiety, violent behavior and fatigue. However,
sugar actually makes a person feel sleepy because when you eat sugar, a ‘sleep
chemical’ called serotonin is produced in the brain.
The idea that sugar causes hyperactivity in children probably comes from the
fact that foods that contain large amounts of sugar, such as soft drinks, candies
and other sweet foods, also contain artificial colors and preservatives, which
may cause hyperactivity. Also, a diet that is high in snack foods and drinks
with a lot of sugar is often lacking in other nutritious foods such as fruits,
vegetables and whole grains.
- Some artificial food dyes and preservatives may trigger hyperactive
behavior in children.
Chemical preservatives called ‘benzoates’ and four specific artificial
colors (tartrazine, sunset yellow, ponceau and carmoisine) may trigger hyperactive
behavior. If you want to avoid these products, you’ll have to do some
‘detective work’ when you're reading food labels. Since there
are no government regulations that require the specific names of each food color
or preservative to be listed on food labels, the labels may only say “artificial
color” or “preservatives”. Some common foods known to contain
benzoates and colors include: canned soups, convenience-food mixes such as puddings
and cake mixes, jams and jellies, flavored coffee, syrups and yogurts, soft
drinks and sauces such as barbeque sauce, candies and chewing gum.
Artificial food dyes and preservatives may trigger hyperactive behaviour in
all children. When food additives are cut from a child's diet, it's often
the less nutritious sugary foods that are removed. This results in healthier,
more nutritionally balanced eating in general, which can lead to better behaviour.
The improvement in the child's behaviour is a response to a more nutritious
diet.
- Hyperactivity is never the only symptom of a food allergy
If your child is allergic to a food or several foods, her or she will have
other signs such as skin reactions (eczema or hives), stomach problems (diarrhea,
stomachache and occasionally, constipation), or a runny, stuffy nose and itchy
watery eyes. If you think your child might have a food allergy, it's important
to identify the foods that are causing the symptoms. The symptoms will disappear
when those specific food allergens are removed from the diet. Children are then
able to sleep better, have more energy, and generally feel better, so their
behaviour will naturally improve. Your child's family doctor, pediatrician
or pediatric allergist will help you find out the foods causing your child's
allergies. You can get help from a Registered Dietitian to put together a meal
plan that is healthy and balanced and avoids your child's allergenic foods.
Finally, parents will take extra care in food preparation when a special diet
is required. This may help a child to feel "special", since he or
she is receiving more attention. The extra attention may have positive effect
on the child and his or her behaviour.
Additional Resources
Can
Food Affect Your Child's Behaviour? – Community
Health Services Department, County of Lambton, Ontario
Food Allergy
and Intolerance – Vickerstaff Health Services Inc.
From the menu, select “FAQs and Fact Sheets”. Then Select “Hyperactivity
and Diet”. There is an FAQ there, and at the bottom of the FAQ page, there
is also a Fact Sheet you can download.
Resources for Professionals
Guide
to Food Labelling and Advertising – Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Labelling
Of Foods Causing Allergies and Sensitivities: What foods are most commonly associated
with allergies? – Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Food
Allergens – Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Food
Ingredients & Colors – International
Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation
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