Throughout this discussion the term sugar includes all refined carbohydrates (processed white flour foods, crackers, rice, noodles, cereal, etc.) because these refined carbohydrates are just one chemical step away from sugar; and once eaten have nearly the same effect as sugar. That fluffy white stuff labeled "enriched white bread" is as much a part of a sugar problem as the sugar bowl.

Without a doubt, a diet filled with refined sugars is the number one cause of behavior problems, moods swings, and attention deficits in young children.

Sugar is, by far, the greatest addiction in the United States. It is far more excessive than all other forms of substance abuse combined. Yet little attention is given to this insidious condition and the slow but surely destructive consequences of its abuse.

At the turn of the last century, a mere 100 years ago, diabetes was number 100 on the list of frequency of illnesses. That meant that there were 99 other diseases that you could get more readily than diabetes. Today diabetes is number three on that same list. What could possibly change so dramatically to cause diabetes to become an epidemic?

Consider that in 1895 the average American consumed 3 to 4 pounds of sugar per year. It was a treat to ride into town and pick up a nickel bag of candy from the general store - and it would last a week! Maybe on Sunday, mama would bake a pie for the family's sit-down dinner. Today, the average American (not the chocoholic) consumes his or her own bodyweight in sugar every year!!! All of this highly refined "rocket fuel" must be metabolized rapidly by the pancreas. The pancreas must produce insulin, the hormone responsible for converting blood glucose into the stored form glycogen and eventually triglycerides.

When we pack high amounts of sugar into the bodies of small children it makes them run like a jet engine. When the sugar is converted by insulin, as it must be, the blood sugar often drops below optimal levels. This produces a temporary state of hypoglycemia, resulting in a loss of energy, frequently producing lethargy. Does that sound like your child?

The number one cause for mood swings, characterized by hyperactivity one minute and lethargy and moodiness the next, is the over-consumption of sugar-laden foods. Everything has sugar in it. It is the cheapest preservative the food industry uses to increase the shelf life of processed foods. When children start off their day with a glass of concentrated fruit juice, a bowl of sugar-filled cereal to which they have added more sugar, white toast with jam or jelly, and a glass of chocolate-syrup milk, is it a surprise when a roller coaster ride of moods and emotions soon follows?

Monitoring the child's diet is frequently a neglected factor in an ADD/ADHD management program because it takes attention and constancy. Parents frequently have similar unhealthy eating habits and are not willing to alter them for the sake of their children. There are several things we can do to offset the detrimental effects of sugar. The minerals, chromium & vanadium, have been shown to assist the body in the metabolizing of glucose. The effectiveness of these elements is greatly enhanced by the addition of the amino acid, aspartic acid. This combination does not, however, ameliorate continual dietary abuse. Too many people begin a nutrition management approach only to continue their destructive habits and then complain afterwards that "it didn't work." Perhaps what is needed is a little reality check? Yes?

Prinz and his associates found that hyperactivity and destructive behavior are positively correlated with the amount of sugar consumed. Langseth and Dowd conducted a study on 261 hyperactive children. They found that after 5 hours of oral glucose tolerance tests, 74% displayed abnormal glucose tolerance levels. These studies prove that hypoglycemia promotes hyperkinesis and that refined carboydrates appear to be the major factor in promoting reactive hypoglycemia. [Sanders L, Hofeldt F, Kirk M, Levin J. Refined carbohydrate as a contributing factor in reactive hypoglycemia. Southern Med J 1982; 75: 1972-1975]

Taking an active interest in your child's diet is so important to his or her health. Knowing about allergies and other sensitivities to food is critical in solving the problem of hyperactivity. Before prescriptive drugs are used to help ADD, nutritional factors and basic nutrition programs should be considered.