Everyone's heard of the concept of the sugar rush, and some parents try not to give their kids sweet food and drinks to avoid affecting their children's health and wellness. However, the culprit may not be sugar, but caffeine instead. This is somewhat understandable – many people wake in the morning to a fresh cup of coffee to start the day. It revitalizes them, regardless of whether they've had a full night's rest or only a nap. So it makes sense that children would receive a similar burst of energy and act excited while under caffeine's influence.
However, the effect of caffeine may extend beyond an energy boost, according to recent research published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study found that kids who drink soda are slightly more aggressive than other children, based on the analysis of 2,929 children from 20 sizable U.S. cities. Mothers were asked to rate their children's aggressive behavior on a scale of one to 100 during the two months preceding their survey, and kids who drank four or more soda servings per day averaged a score of 62. Non-soda drinkers rated only a 56, while those who drank between one and three servings fell into a range between the non-drinkers and heavy soda drinkers.
Children who drank four or more soda servings per day were also found to be twice as likely to fight and destroy people's belongings than kids who don't drink soda.
"In children who consume sodas on a daily basis, we see an increased level of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and acting out," Judy Gaman, a health and wellness expert at Executive Medicine of Texas in Southlake, told the Dallas Morning News. "Caffeine is a drug and sodas are addictive, so don't be surprised if you and your family have to go through a detox period when you wean off. During such time, headaches, moodiness, and anxiety will rise, but should be gone in three to seven days."
Soda on the decline, but parents may want solutions now
The Dallas Morning News also noted that soda sales have been declining for the past eight years. Although the popularity of the beverage may be decreasing, this does little good for parents who want to address the problem now. Gaman, as well as Wendy Rice, a Tampa-based psychologist, offered a few recommendations to families who want to remove soda from their diet.
Gaman suggested not buying soda, regardless of where the family is, and that parents should also keep an eye out for artificial sweeteners. Rice added that substitutions such as seltzer water mixed with fruit juice can also help. However, the source noted that alternatives like diet soda are not a good answer, as the problem is with the caffeine, not the sweetener.
Reuters reported that the study is not definitive, as the craving for soda may be tied to chronic pediatric medical conditions such as low blood-sugar levels, and that may result in the heightened sense of aggression. However, it added that soda still provides little nutritional value to children.
