ADD/ADHD in Children

High Fructose Corn Syrup and ADD/ADHD in Children: Is There a Link or Is It a Myth?

Keith-Thomas Ayoob, Ed.D., RD, FADA

As a practicing pediatric nutritionist for twenty-five years, I have probably answered more questions about sugar and now high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and a supposed link to hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder than you can imagine. People often assume that sugar causes hyperactivity because of all the nutritional myths and misinformation they’ve read or heard about.

First, let’s set the record straight about what sugar and high fructose corn syrup are. Essentially they’re the same. High fructose corn syrup is just another form of sugar, no better, no worse. Here’s why: regular table sugar is sucrose, made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. There are two types of high fructose corn syrup mainly used in foods and beverages—one is 55 % fructose and the other is 42% fructose with the balance for both made up of primarily glucose, almost the same as regular table sugar. Glucose is how the body uses most of its carbohydrate energy and is the body’s preferred energy source, so it breaks down and converts most carbohydrates into glucose. Fructose is a sugar found in most fruit (hence the name “fructose”) and the body can use it for energy, too.

As for carbohydrates and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this myth got started back in the 1960s by a researcher at Harvard, who thought that sugar, certain food colorings, and even certain nutritious whole foods caused ADHD in children. His studies tended to be extremely flawed and no other researchers could replicate his results. In fact, numerous other researchers over the past several decades showed no link at all between ADHD and sugar of any kind.

ADHD is a definable medical condition, but it’s not caused by sugar, high fructose corn syrup or any other form of sweetener. This is the conclusion of dozens of well-controlled studies.

In the scientific world, the sugar-ADHD issue has been largely put to rest, but individuals, and especially parents, have yet to get the memo. Why? All too often they see kids having foods and drinks containing high fructose corn syrup or sugar in situations where kids are likely to be active anyway. A relatable story: A mother attended a birthday party with her child and about a dozen six-year-olds. Cake, ice cream, and punch were served and the mother said, “The food had too much sugar in it and they’re running all over the place.” Actually, the kids were just a bunch of six-year-olds at a birthday party acting their age. In this situation, it’s not fair to point the finger at the sugars themselves but rather the amount of sugars provided, minimal limit-setting and the level of activity that were bound to create some chaos, regardless of diet.

High fructose corn syrup and other sugars may give you a quick burst of energy, but it is short-lived and relatively mild. Ironically, carbohydrates can actually increase the production of serotonin, a brain hormone that stimulates calmness and sleep.

Now, let’s be clear. All sugars still have calories, so a modest intake of foods with added sugar is key for children and adults alike. One way to consume sugars like high fructose corn syrup is when they help you consume foods your body already needs. So, let your child drink that low-fat chocolate milk! It’s a great example of using some added sugar or high fructose corn syrup that’s also providing important dairy benefits.

Keith-Thomas Ayoob, Ed.D., RD, FADA, is a practicing pediatric nutritionist and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dr. Ayoob is often asked to speak on nutrition issues that affect children, appearing in more than 800 interviews locally and nationally on television, radio, the Internet and in print to comment on timely nutrition issues and dispelling myths and misconceptions about nutrition and health. He is a fellow of the American Dietetic Association.