After surveying 1,649 randomly selected middle-school students, a research team at Yale School of Public Health has concluded that children who consume heavily sweetened energy drinks are 66% more likely to develop hyperactivity and inattention symptoms.
The research team led by Professor Jeannette Ickovics, Director of CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), at the School of Public Health support the existing recommendations on to overcome the limitations of sweetened beverages among school children.
According to the study published in the journal Academic Paediatrics, more research needs to be done to better understand the mechanisms linking hyperactivity with sweetened beverages. However, previous studies have shown a high correlation between intake of sweetened beverages and poor academic outcomes, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), increased susceptibility to injuries and difficulty with peer relations.
"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 Professor Ickovics. "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."
Ickovics also sees sugar-sweetened drinks as one of the causes of overweight or obesity in American school children.
Authors found that some sweetened beverages which are popular among students contain up to 40 grams of sugar while the health experts recommend 21-33 grams of sugar daily (based on age).
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
https://news.yale.edu/2015/02/09/energy-drinks-significantly-increase-hyperactivity-schoolchildren
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876285914004252
