Author: Meitta Lim, Wong Yee Ying, Fendy Yuanto
Nowadays people still believes in myths which affect people's mind about their food consumptions. Steven Pliszka, MD, professor of psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio said that the biggest myth of all is that food has any connection to behavior (Warner, J., 2004).
One of the myths that concern in people's mind is about eating chocolate with soft drinks which can cause hyperactivity in children and teens, not in adult. One of the reasons is the consumption of high sugar content from chocolate and soft drinks. Actually hyperactivity is not a disease but it is a behaviour problem due to increased movement, impulsiveness, destructibility, and decreased attention span. There are some beliefs that children can become hyperactive if they consume sugar (sucrose), aspartame, artificial sweeteners, or certain food colourings (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2009)
Factors that can cause hyperactivity in chocolate and softdrinks:
1. Sugar contents. In some chocolate, soft drinks or any other foods contain refined sugar which may cause some effects on children's activity because the refined sugar enters the bloodstream very fast which increases the production of fluctuations in blood glucose levels and cause the adrenaline to trigger more and make the children more active. (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2009). Besides that refined sugar can also decreases the nutrients which are important for neurological health in the body (such as vitamin B, magnesium, and zinc) and causes mental and physical disorders (Adams, M., 2004).
2. Caffeine contents. Some people only know that high caffeine content is only in coffee but somehow some of chocolate and soda drinks also contain caffeine. Caffeine can be good for people if it is consumed in small amount, it can stimulates the central nervous system which can make people to be more alert and energetic. But if the caffeine is consumed too much, it can be harmful for children which can effect their behavior such as anxiety, mood changes, and caffeine can also increase the blood pressure and heart rate (Dowshen, S., MD, 2009).
3. Food additives. Some of the food additives are believed can cause hyperactivity in children, and so many researches had been done to prove it. One of the researches was done in 2007 at University of Southampton to ensure Benjamin Feingold’s hypothesis, where 153 3-year-old and 144 8/9-year-old children were included in the study. Some of the student were given drinks contained sodium benzoate and the others were given a placebo mix in their drinks. At the end of the research, they found that removing food additives from the diet of a group of 3-year-olds caused a reduction in the children's hyperactive behaviour and when the food colourings and preservatives were added back into the children's diets, the parents reported an increase in hyperactivity (McCann, et al., 2007).
Suggestions to reduce the hyperactivity in children and teens:
1. Chocolate can still be consumed by children and teens but in a small amount, or the chocolate can be replaced with another sweets which are safe to consume, or any high level antioxidants foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, and skinless lean meats (Tsang, G., 2005).
2. Soda drinks can still consumed in a small amount, or can be replaced with some other drinks that provide important nutrients (such as calcium and vitamins) like soy milk, skim milk (skim milk provides protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients), green or black tea, fruit or vegetable fresh juices, coffee, or daily mineral water (Magee, E., 2007).
3. Parents should try to avoid some of food additives which can cause hyperactivity in their children.
One of the myths that concern in people's mind is about eating chocolate with soft drinks which can cause hyperactivity in children and teens, not in adult. One of the reasons is the consumption of high sugar content from chocolate and soft drinks. Actually hyperactivity is not a disease but it is a behaviour problem due to increased movement, impulsiveness, destructibility, and decreased attention span. There are some beliefs that children can become hyperactive if they consume sugar (sucrose), aspartame, artificial sweeteners, or certain food colourings (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2009)
Factors that can cause hyperactivity in chocolate and softdrinks:
1. Sugar contents. In some chocolate, soft drinks or any other foods contain refined sugar which may cause some effects on children's activity because the refined sugar enters the bloodstream very fast which increases the production of fluctuations in blood glucose levels and cause the adrenaline to trigger more and make the children more active. (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2009). Besides that refined sugar can also decreases the nutrients which are important for neurological health in the body (such as vitamin B, magnesium, and zinc) and causes mental and physical disorders (Adams, M., 2004).
2. Caffeine contents. Some people only know that high caffeine content is only in coffee but somehow some of chocolate and soda drinks also contain caffeine. Caffeine can be good for people if it is consumed in small amount, it can stimulates the central nervous system which can make people to be more alert and energetic. But if the caffeine is consumed too much, it can be harmful for children which can effect their behavior such as anxiety, mood changes, and caffeine can also increase the blood pressure and heart rate (Dowshen, S., MD, 2009).
3. Food additives. Some of the food additives are believed can cause hyperactivity in children, and so many researches had been done to prove it. One of the researches was done in 2007 at University of Southampton to ensure Benjamin Feingold’s hypothesis, where 153 3-year-old and 144 8/9-year-old children were included in the study. Some of the student were given drinks contained sodium benzoate and the others were given a placebo mix in their drinks. At the end of the research, they found that removing food additives from the diet of a group of 3-year-olds caused a reduction in the children's hyperactive behaviour and when the food colourings and preservatives were added back into the children's diets, the parents reported an increase in hyperactivity (McCann, et al., 2007).
Suggestions to reduce the hyperactivity in children and teens:
1. Chocolate can still be consumed by children and teens but in a small amount, or the chocolate can be replaced with another sweets which are safe to consume, or any high level antioxidants foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, and skinless lean meats (Tsang, G., 2005).
2. Soda drinks can still consumed in a small amount, or can be replaced with some other drinks that provide important nutrients (such as calcium and vitamins) like soy milk, skim milk (skim milk provides protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients), green or black tea, fruit or vegetable fresh juices, coffee, or daily mineral water (Magee, E., 2007).
3. Parents should try to avoid some of food additives which can cause hyperactivity in their children.
