Could it really be that easy? (Sugar elimination and mood)

[limabean]

DD went through a stage of being an absolute terror. She was completely out of control, and you could tell that she was just as upset by it as we were. It would happen at the drop of a hat, over anything and everything. One day it dawned on me that we had been having quite a bit of sugar lately (Girl Scout cookies, our own baked goods, a few valentine candies here and there, etc.).

So one day I gave her zero sugar (except for naturally occurring sweets, like whole fruits) and ... ZERO tantrums! She got a bit frustrated a few times of course, but it was NOTHING like her previous out-of-control moments. It's been a week and we've continued to not give her sugar, and she's a totally different kid -- she has her moments like all toddlers, but for the most part she's happy-go-lucky and can take mild disappointment in stride. 

Could it really be something as simple as eliminating sugar, or is this just a coincidence?? If the sugar was the culprit, I'm incredibly relieved to know, but at the same time I feel terrible that we were the ones giving her something that made her feel so awful! 

[Caitlin0919]

My DD rarely has anything with added sugar and she's usually pretty easy to handle. I never thought sugar could affect mood that much either until DD stayed with my in-laws for 4 days. When we picked her up, she had been eating Oreos and MIL sent a box of Dora the Explorer fruit snacks with us because "she loves them" and she also told us that DD had "discovered" freeze pops. For the next 2 days after coming home, DD had tantrums non-stop. It was like I brought home a different kid. But after being home awhile longer and not having all the extra sugar(we threw out the fruit snacks) she was back to her old self again. We've since had a talk with MIL about giving her so much sugar. DD has her moments like any toddler, but nothing like how she was after that long stay with Grandma!

[naupakamama]

Certainly could be true!  Also, many of the store bought sweets have red dye #40 which has been shown to effect mood and increase ADHD type symptoms.

[A-time-to-live]

Could be what she's not getting in place of the sugar as well? My DD doesn't get a lot of added sugar but we've found that if we don't give her protein at frequent enough intervals she is a mess.

[physmom]

I went sugar free for awhile (I would still be doing it but we're staying with the in-laws at the moment and I have little say over my food choices) and it really affected my moods.  I felt 100% better, more energy, just cleaner in general.  I can't wait until we move out and I can control what I eat again!