Do a Google search for: ‘sugar causes hyperactivity in kids’ and the first result nodded towards sugar and carbs entering the bloodstream quickly rapidly changing blood sugar levels that just might make your kid run around like a nutter.

Scroll down a few results and the truth quickly emerges. Sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children. Many scientific and health institutions have clearly shown that there is no link between sugar and hyperactivity. When researchers compared giving kids sugar and a substance with no sugar they saw no hyperactivity. Several scientific reviews have all pointed towards no link.

So where does this myth come from? In 1973 Dr Benjamin Feingold, following on Feingold Diet recommendations, advocated that food additives are linked to hyperactivity. Sugar was lumped into the same bowl. By the following year a letter by Dr William Crook claimed that sugar is a leading cause of hyperactivity. Now the internet is rife with the claim.

Another reason is the natural inclination humans have to link what we see with what happens around us. This approach can lead to the wrong conclusions. Seeing your child become very excited during birthday celebrations or Christmas, when a lot of sugar is on the table, can lead one to think that it’s those sugar-dusted mince pies to blame.

Many websites claim that sugar makes blood glucose levels rise much faster, some even stating this happens through the mouth. The mouth only allows a few vitamins through, while it is where carbohydrate breakdown starts, absorption into the body occurs in our intestines past the stomach, which takes a bit of time. The body’s insulin and some other factors also help keep blood glucose levels in check.

This doesn’t mean that huge amounts of sugar are good. The WHO recommends that to reduce obesity and tooth decay added sugar should be reduced to less than one tenth of daily calories (for kids no more than six teaspoons or a single frosted donut). Don’t ban sugar from your kids’ diet but do not let them drown in it.