CLAIM:
Children who consume sugar and processed foods such as cakes, bread, ice cream and chocolates become restless, stubborn and prone to anger due to unhealthy gut bacteria. Eliminating sugar, packaged foods, and adopting practices like fasting and early dinners can improve their gut health, mood and overall mental well-being.
FACT:
False. Scientific evidence does not support the claim that sugar causes hyperactivity, aggression, or personality changes in children. Controlled trials and meta-analyses have found no consistent behavioural effects, though some observational studies suggest a modest association between high sugary drink intake and anxiety, not proven causation. Experts say personality traits are shaped by upbringing and genetics, not food.
In a viral reel posted by the ‘SUNOINDIA PODCAST’ Instagram handle, which has over 3.98 lakh followers, the page shares a video discussing the impact of sugar on children’s behaviour and mental health. In the reel, Dimple Jangda - who, according to her LinkedIn profile, describes herself as a “Gut Health & Ayurveda Coach” - links children’s mood swings and behavioural issues directly to sugar consumption.
In the video, she claims that children who eat sugar, cakes, breads, ice creams and chocolates are “very restless,” “very stubborn,” and “get angry easily.” She adds that such children tend to shout loudly and struggle with discipline, urging viewers to “compare them to other children who don't eat a lot of sugar.” According to her, children who consume less sugar are “more disciplined because their gut bacteria is also calm,” suggesting that unhealthy gut bacteria caused by sugary and processed foods directly affects children’s moods.
She further advises parents to “take out the sugar from your house,” eliminate processed packaged foods, and even begin fasting one day per week. Recommending additional lifestyle changes, she suggests changing utensils and avoiding food after sunset, claiming that “these small things will make your gut healthy and your mental health strong.” She concludes by saying, “If you want to live a happy life, you have to make some sacrifices.”
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The reel has gained over 1.1 million views, 9,046 likes, and 9,666 shares, sparking widespread discussion on whether sugar truly affects children’s behaviour as strongly as claimed.
Sugar and kids’ behaviour: What science says?
Scientific evidence does not strongly support the claim that sugar directly causes hyperactivity or aggressive behaviour in children. While some studies suggest possible links between sugary drinks and anxiety, the overall findings point to association rather than proven causation.
An older controlled trial examining sugar and behaviour in children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (now referred to as ADHD) investigated whether acute sugar intake increased aggression or inattention. The researchers noted that “foods high in refined sugar are claimed to exacerbate hyperactivity and increase aggressive behaviour,” but also acknowledged that “controlled studies have failed to confirm any effect on hyperactivity and effects on inattention have been equivocal.”
In this experiment, 17 children with ADHD and nine age-matched control subjects were given sugar or artificially sweetened placebos (saccharin or aspartame) along with a high-carbohydrate breakfast. Although children with ADHD were generally more aggressive than controls, “there were no significant effects of sugar or either placebo on the aggressive behaviour of either group.” The study did observe that “inattention… increased only in the attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity group following sugar,” but not after saccharin or aspartame.
However, the authors cautioned that this finding was of “questionable clinical significance,” adding that the results should be replicated before making any dietary recommendations.
Building on such individual trials, a landmark meta-analysis synthesised evidence from 23 blinded, placebo-controlled studies examining sugar’s effects on children’s behaviour and cognition. The inclusion criteria required that studies administer a known quantity of sugar, use an artificial sweetener placebo, blind participants and observers, and provide sufficient statistical data.
The pooled findings showed that across 14 behavioural and cognitive measurement constructs, the 95% confidence intervals for all mean effect sizes included zero. In other words, the meta-analysis concluded that “sugar does not affect the behaviour or cognitive performance of children.” The authors suggested that the widespread parental belief in a sugar–hyperactivity link may be driven by “expectancy and common association,” while also noting that “a small effect of sugar or effects on subsets of children cannot be ruled out.”
More recent research has shifted focus from acute sugar intake to broader dietary patterns, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and mental health outcomes in adolescents. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the association between SSB consumption and anxiety disorders among adolescents. Of the nine included studies (mostly observational), seven reported a significant positive association between higher SSB intake and anxiety symptoms.
The meta-analysis found that higher sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was associated with increased odds of anxiety disorders. However, the authors emphasised that “given the predominance of observational designs, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causality.” In other words, while higher sugary drink consumption may be linked to anxiety symptoms, the studies do not establish that sugar directly causes mood or behavioural problems.
What experts recommend?
Dr Rajiv Kovil, Head of Diabetology and Weight Loss Expert at Zandra Healthcare, refuted the claim that sugar or processed food can shape a child’s personality.
He explained that traits such as arrogance or stubbornness are personality traits, not dietary outcomes. “Arrogance and stubbornness are personality traits. They are not cognitive functions,” he said, emphasising that food intake cannot create or alter such traits. According to him, there is “absolutely no credible evidence” linking sugar consumption to the development of personality characteristics.
Dr Kovil clarified that while some observational data discuss what is popularly called a “sugar high” - where children may appear more energetic, inattentive or impulsive after consuming sweets, this should not be confused with personality change. “There is some observational data suggesting minor changes in attention, energy or mood,” he noted. “But there is no credible evidence to suggest that personality traits like arrogance or stubbornness are related to any kind of food intake.”
He further pointed out that behavioural tendencies such as impulse control disorders, delusions or delirium are medical or psychological conditions and “cannot be linked to food.” Calling the viral claim a “complete misconception,” he stressed that upbringing, environment, genetics, and parental guidance play a far greater role in shaping personality.
“All these personality traits - arrogance, stubbornness, are brought about by how a child is raised, their surroundings, genetics, hereditary factors and parental coaching. It has nothing to do with food consumption,” he said. He added that permissive parenting, for instance, giving a child everything they demand, may reinforce certain behaviours, but “that is not linked to the food itself.”
Addressing the idea of behavioural shifts after eating sweets, Dr Kovil explained that such responses are better understood through the brain’s dopamine reward system. Foods high in sugar can activate the hedonic (reward-seeking) pathways, temporarily making a person feel more energetic or uplifted. “That does not mean the personality of the person changes,” he said. “It is related to reward response and energy balance, not personality.”
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.