# RKS: SUGAR RUSH - The 2010s 'Newborn' Realization!

  

# RKS: SUGAR RUSH

THE 2010s 'NEWBORN' REALIZATION!

RKS / 2026-2027 / Ser 10 / Blog 1

1st October 2026

SUGAR RUSH - A FAD OR A REALITY?

ALL ABOUT SUGAR AND SMALL ONES

Dear Reader,

Are sugar rushes real? For decades, many parents have believed in the idea of a “sugar rush,” a phenomenon where kids become hyperactive after consuming sugary snacks or drinks. This belief has led to widespread efforts to limit sugar intake, especially during times when parents want their children to stay calm and focused.

Despite its popularity, scientific research shows that the so-called sugar rush is actually a myth. In this blog post, the origin of this conception / misconception has been probed and also details on what science really says about sugar and hyperactivity have been provided.

SUGAR BASICS

A sugar rush is a popular term used to describe a sudden feeling of excitement or high energy after eating foods with a lot of sugar. 

THE ORIGINS

The belief in the “sugar rush” began in the 1970s when a study claimed that sugar could cause hyperactivity in children. This research quickly gained attention, and the idea spread among parents, leading to the widespread practice of restricting sugary treats to prevent hyperactive behavior.

THE 'CULPRITS'

Common examples of foods which lead to sugar rush include:

• Sugary soft drinks
• Candy and chocolates
• Cakes and pastries
• Sweetened juices
• Desserts
• Foods made with large amounts of added sugar

There is no fixed duration for sugar rush to last. The effects vary by person, the amount consumed and whether other ingredients, such as caffeine, are present.

HOW DOES SUGAR RUSH WORK?

Sugar has a major effect on humans before the first bite is indulged in. Happy memories of previous sweet treats can get activated just by sight and smell. And when one tastes the ice cream or cake or peach, the pleasure of the sweetness and other flavors lead the brain to make new memories.

Memories are made in a part of brain called hippocampus. Herein, also even the short-term memories are turned to long-term ones in hippocampus itself. 

Fig: Hippocampus.

Hippocampus is an important part of limbic system. Besides memory, the limbic system regulates functions such as emotions and basic survival drives (like hunger, thirst, sexual behavior and the fight-or-flight response). The mood elevating neurotransmitters are:

• Serotonin: This ‘happy chemical’ is a mood stabilizer and is essential for feelings of well-being.
• Dopamine: This neurotransmitter is released when the brain anticipates or receives a ‘reward’. The feeling of satisfaction or pleasure is because of increased dopamine levels in brain.

It is interesting to understand how sugar can increase these 2 chemicals.

SUGAR & SEROTONIN

• Insulin release: Consuming sugar or high-carbohydrate foods causes the pancreas to release insulin.

• Clearing amino acids: Insulin drives branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) out of the blood and into muscle tissue.

• Tryptophan transport: Tryptophan (the amino acid precursor to serotonin) largely bypasses this uptake (i.e. does not get diverted to muscles) and remains in circulation.

• Brain entry: With fewer competing amino acids present in the blood, tryptophan (which is not a BCAA) crosses the blood-brain barrier more easily.

• Serotonin synthesis: Once inside the brain, tryptophan is converted into serotonin, temporarily boosting mood and promoting a sense of calm.

Uprising of mood is reflected in the happy faces following eating sugar foods.

SUGAR & DOPAMINE

• Cellular Energy Boost: Glucose enters the bloodstream quickly, giving brain cells an immediate source of fuel.

• Calcium Channel Activation: High glucose levels help produce cellular chemical energy as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which closes specific potassium channels and opens calcium channels inside cells, leading to a release of dopamine.

• The Reward Loop: The resulting dopamine surge creates a temporary feeling of pleasure and satisfaction, which trains the brain to crave more sweet foods.

Eating sugar releases dopamine in the brain's reward areas instantly - even before the food reaches the stomach or just from tasting sweetness.

 

SUGAR & GLUTAMATE

Glutamate is the primary chemical mediator (neurotransmitter) in brain that is responsible for new memories creation. The happiness on account of serotonin and the pleasurable feelings related to dopamine release are all memorized in the hippocampus. 

Glutamate also converts short-term into long-term memories and ensures that lasting storage. Dopamine aids the process by stabilizing the long-term memories within the hippocampus. Hence, even in the distant next time when one sees or even visualizes a sugary food, the respective neurotransmitters for uplifting mood and driving pleasurable feeling get activated so as to make one crave for the ‘sweet’.

SUGAR RUSH DEBUNKED

Analysis of 176 effect sizes (31 studies, 1259 participants) have revealed no positive effect of any form of carbohydrates on any aspect of mood at any time-point following their consumption. (Mantantzis K et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 101: 45-67)

A MYTH

The more than 50-year old initial study linking sugar intake with hyperactivity has since been debunked, with more recent research demonstrating that it lacked scientific rigor and accurate conclusions. 

WHY YET THE ILLUSION?

One of the main reasons the myth persists is a psychological phenomenon known as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Studies conducted in the 1990s demonstrated that when parents expected their children to act hyper after eating sugar, they were more likely to notice behaviors they interpreted as hyperactivity. In reality, the sugar wasn’t to blame - the parents’ expectations influenced how they perceived their child’s behavior.

This means the child or the individual probably feels good from having a treat, not the sugar!

CONCLUSION 

Carbohydrates are highly concentrated in a plethora of food items. The following is a list of food items that provide high percentage of carbohydrates but yet many of these are considered as healthy:

• Food Items
• Buckwheat (78% carbohydrates)
• Rice (white / brown) (78% / 73% carbohydrates)
• Dates, dried (75% carbohydrates)
• Quinoa (70% carbohydrates)
• Oats (raw) (70% carbohydrates)
• Bananas (23% carbohydrates)
• Sweet potatoes (21% carbohydrates)
• Chole (21% carbohydrates)
• Chikoo (20% carbohydrates)
• Rajma (19% carbohydrates)
• Chana dal (17% carbohydrates)
• Mango (17% carbohydrates)
• Oranges (16% carbohydrates)
• Grapes (16% carbohydrates)
• Blueberries (15% carbohydrates)
• Apples (15% carbohydrates)
• Toor dal (15% carbohydrates)

• ‘Unhealthy’ bites
• Pav Bhaji (1 plate) (50-55g carbohydrates)
• Vada Pav (1 piece) (40-45g carbohydrates)
• Samosa (1 piece) (25-30g carbohydrates)
• Namkeen / Sev (50g) (~25g carbohydrates)
• Pakora / Bhajiya (5 pieces) (20-25g carbohydrates)

 It is but interesting to capture how much carbs are present in ‘sweets’.

• Sweets: 15 gr carb
• 2” x 2” piece of cake (no icing)
• 2 small cookies 
• 5 vanilla wafers 
• 2” brownie 
• ½ cup custard 
• ½ cup sugar-free pudding 
• 1 plain donut 
• 1 small granola bar 
• ½ cup ice cream or ice milk 
• 1/3 cup frozen yogurt 

• Sweets: 30 gr carb
• 2” x 2” piece of cake with icing 
• 1 frosted cupcake 
• ½ cup regular pudding 
• 1 cup chocolate milk 
• 1 small soft-serve ice cream cone 

• Sweets: 45 gr carb 
• 1 sweet roll or danish 
• 8 oz flavored yogurt 
• 2 tbsp regular maple syrup 
• ½ cup fruit crumble

Items heavily reliant on sugar syrups, flour, or milk solids (like jalebi, gulab jamun or laddu) typically pack 15g to 30g+ of carbohydrates per single piece. Denser milk or nut-based sweets like kaju katli feature around 10-15g of carbs per piece along with high caloric loads. Standard ice cream and traditional kulfi contain roughly 15 to 27g of carbohydrates per 100g serving. SINCE THE SUGAR CONTENT IN PERCEIVED CULPRIT 'SWEET' ITEMS IS SIMILAR OR EVEN LESSER THAN IN MANY VEGETABLE / FRUITS / PULSES, OR EVEN FOOD ITEMS, THEN WHY THE SUGAR RUSH HAALUCINATED? 

Sugar that is naturally occurring, like in fruits and vegetables (and their derived food items), has other nutrients like fibre that have to be broken down before being metabolized, which slow absorption. Hence, the sugar levels rise abruptly following intake of ‘sweets’ but not after vegetables, fruits, pulses or savouries. Any spiking of blood glucose, as is commonly achieved with 'sweets' (because these are low glycemic index foods) is followed by a ‘sugar crash’. Since the abruptly risen values fall the activity of the young ones, who are always the focus of minute attention, immediately following consuming processed sweets, are more noticed and distinguished – this is unlike other natural sources of carbohydrates where there is no ‘crash’ phenomenon. A sugar spike gives a brief, false sense of high energy or mood elevation, but since the subsequent crash triggers brain fog and lethargy the parents perceive and believe in the ‘sugar rush’ phenomenon.

Human perception is increasingly shaped—and sometimes permanently altered—by the continuous outburst of social and digital media. Because we spend hours consuming curated content, algorithmic feeds do not just reflect our reality; they actively construct it.

DR R K SANGHAVI

Prophesied Enabler

Experience & Expertise: Clinician & Healthcare Industry Adviser

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