Energy drinks cause ADHD symptoms in children

(NaturalNews) It's odd how scientific studies have come to corroborate what is seen and known by many, yet long-term comprehensive dots are not connected in the overall scheme of things in the "scientific community." The studies don't lead to any remedial action from the FDA, such as curbing sugar content in high-sugar "energy" drinks.

A recent Yale School of Public Health study focused on high-sugar-content beverages, both caffeinated and not caffeinated. It pretty much concluded that middle school kids who consumed high-sugar beverages often were at greater risk or more prone to become addled with attention disorders and hyperactivity.

The Yale study surveyed 1,649 middle-school students, average age 12.4 years, randomly selected from a single urban school district in Connecticut. Harvard Epidemiology Professor Jeannette Ickovics, director of CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement) led this study. The research determined that boys drank more highly sugar-sweetened beverages and especially energy drinks than girls.

Some of the favored beverages among the study participants contained as much as 40 grams of sugar. The average intake was two sodas or energy drinks daily. So up to 80 grams of added sugar per day would not be unusual.

This study did not differentiate between sucrose or HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup). They lumped all added sugars together. But it has been discovered that HFCS has even worse health ramifications than sucrose. Nevertheless, the association to ADD and ADHD was in proportion to the amounts of added sugar of any type in beverages.

"As the total number of sugar-sweetened beverages increased, so too did risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms among our middle-school students. Importantly, it appears that energy drinks are driving this association," said Ickovics.

She added, "Our results support the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that parents should limit consumption of sweetened beverages and that children should not consume any energy drinks."

All of this has been known for decades, yet it's all still out there with dangerous pharmaceutical remedies

Other studies have discovered high amounts of added sugar, whether sucrose or fructose, as more of a major contributor toward obesity and heart disease than the bogus saturated fat theory, which created the no- and low-fat processed foods high in sugars and refined carbohydrates for around a half-century.

Yet there are still those who hold to that superstition, ignoring the fact that, since so many have been consuming less fat for so many years, heart disease, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have become epidemic. What's different is the amount of sugar consumption since 1950 has increased five-fold.

A 2014 American Diabetes Association study, larger than the middle-school study and inclusive of all ages, states: "About 75% of all foods and beverages contain added sugar in a large array of forms [including HFCS which is most common in sodas].

Consumption of soft drinks has increased fivefold since 1950. Meta-analyses suggest that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is related to the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In 2013, a 20 city analysis of 3,000 five-year-old children revealed that 43 percent consumed at least one soda a day. Increased consumption was associated with increased aggression, social withdrawal, attention disorders and other conditions.

Instead of regulating dietary added sugar, the solution for those ADD and ADHD kids is amphetamine-type drugs like Ritalin, with disastrous results.

In 2006, Health Ranger Mike Adams declared, "It is beyond shameful that doctors and parents are giving these amphetamine drugs to preschoolers. These children don't need drugs, they need nutritional support and the elimination of toxic chemicals from their foods."

"I find it astounding that in our public schools, which claim to be 'drug free zones,' teachers and school administrators have become drug pushers who urge parents to put their children on psychotropic drugs that would be called 'speed' on the street," Adams added.

Yet all these substances, added sugar and HFCS in processed foods and beverages, are not only still on the market; they're highly advertised with psychologically appealing visuals. Close behind are the psychotropic drugs for kids even under five to correct "behavioral imbalances" while ignoring dietary remedies.

The FDA protects large pharmaceutical and food processing industries, not you or your kids. So it's about time parents took charge and led by example.

Sources:

http://news.yale.edu

http://www.academicpedsjnl.net

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://care.diabetesjournals.org