section_path: Health effects/Cognition
section_name: Cognition
paragraph_text: Cognition
  
  Despite some studies suggesting that sugar consumption causes hyperactivity, the quality of evidence is low and it is generally accepted within the scientific community that the notion of children's 'sugar rush' is a myth. A 2019 meta-analysis found that sugar consumption does not improve mood, but can lower alertness and increase fatigue within an hour of consumption. One review of low-quality studies of children consuming high amounts of energy drinks showed association with higher rates of unhealthy behaviors, including smoking and excessive alcohol use, and with hyperactivity and insomnia, although such effects could not be specifically attributed to sugar over other components of those drinks such as caffeine.