# Sugar highs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 28, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745 "2010-01-28T07:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whitehawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c6cbf5/32.png) [@whitehawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitehawk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/1 "2010-01-28T07:09:58Z")
I don’t get this argument. It’s well-proven science that consuming sugar (any other high GI stuff, like bread or potatoes or rice) raises your blood sugar (thus giving you more energy) and then the insulin kicks in, making you “crash” (i.e. suddenly have low blood sugar) and hence be tired and sluggish. Which part of this are you arguing with? Cheers, Julie ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/2 "2010-01-28T11:44:32Z")
Possibly discussing this thread: [Does giving sweets to kids produce a sugar rush?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2747/does-giving-sweets-to-kids-produce-a-sugar-rush) If so, the argument is that raised blood sugar doesn’t result in changed behavior in children, as demonstrated repeatedly by study. In other words, your “well-proven science”, even if true, isn’t affecting behavior demonstrably. But since you don’t say for certain which column you are commenting on, it might be some other issue Cecil is tackling. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/3 "2010-01-28T13:21:09Z")
I never understood the sugar high argument. It is like saying that if you put more gas in your gas tank, your car will go faster. It does not make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/4 "2010-01-28T20:16:52Z")
I know I am just one case, so it doesn’t prove anything. However, I have type 2 diabetes and I have never really felt any different when a glucometer indicated that my blood sugar was too high. I can certainly feel it when my blood sugar is too low. That makes me dubious about consumption of sweets (presumably causing temporary hyperglycemia) causing “sugar highs” by non-pyschosomatic means. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/5 "2010-01-29T13:37:37Z")
The BBC series “The truth about food” also ran an, admittedly small and unrigorous, experiment on this. [BBC - Science & Nature - Sugar and Hyperactivity](http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthaboutfood/kids/hyperactivity.shtml) The result supported the hypothesis that the infamous sugar high is a result of sugar intake being correlated with “wild” parties, combined with parents’ confirmation bias. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/6 "2010-01-29T16:07:37Z")
**naita** , at the bottom of that page they say “A 49g bar of Dairy Milk contains 5.5 teaspoons of sugar,” Do you know what they mean there? Are they talking about chocolate or does milk come in bars in England? ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/7 "2010-01-29T16:10:56Z")
“Dairy Milk” is a brand-name chocolate bar manufactured by Cadbury. > **[Cadbury Dairy Milk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadbury_Dairy_Milk)** > > Cadbury Dairy Milk is a British brand of milk chocolate manufactured by Cadbury. It was introduced in the United Kingdom in June 1905 and now consists of a number of products. Every product in the Dairy Milk line is made with exclusively milk chocolate. In 2014, Dairy Milk was ranked the best-selling chocolate bar in the UK. It is manufactured and distributed by the Hershey Company in the United States under licence from Cadbury. The chocolate is now available in many countries, including C In ... Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/8 "2010-01-29T18:06:50Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I know I am just one case, so it doesn’t prove anything. However, I have type 2 diabetes and I have never really felt any different when a glucometer indicated that my blood sugar was too high. I can certainly feel it when my blood sugar is too low. That makes me dubious about consumption of sweets (presumably causing temporary hyperglycemia) causing “sugar highs” by non-pyschosomatic means. I agree - as a Type 1 for nearly 30 years, I have NEVER felt any benefit in energy or wakefulness from a blood sugar over 120 - on the contrary, as things get too high I feel sick, bloated, and nauseous. FWIW, 100% of the time I’ve convinced someone to take a test on my blood glucometer when they have been convinced, as in swear on a stack of Bibles convinced, that their blood sugar is “shooting to the moon” or “crashing low”, their blood sugar has tested between 100-110, with remarkable consistency. The typical reaction is to say “huh, your meter must be wrong.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/9 "2010-01-29T21:55:08Z")
> [@Lestrade](#): > > **naita** , at the bottom of that page they say “A 49g bar of Dairy Milk contains 5.5 teaspoons of sugar,” Do you know what they mean there? Are they talking about chocolate or does milk come in bars in England? On a related note, I’ve heard that in the U.S., a typical chocolate bar can cost an entire payday, even up to $100000. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/10 "2010-01-29T22:12:48Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > On a related note, I’ve heard that in the U.S., a typical chocolate bar can cost an entire payday, even up to $100000. Is that true? Everybody loves a comedian. Happen to know any? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/11 "2010-01-29T23:18:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Everybody loves a comedian. > > Happen to know any? Maybe he just feels like a nut? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/12 "2010-01-29T23:26:54Z")
I’ve never felt it myself. And I eat a buttload of sugar. After a while I might be hungry again if it wasn’t enough, but then I just eat again. I’ve never felt the “crash” unless it was from just plain not eating enough. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/13 "2010-01-30T00:46:46Z")
Sugar may not make you high, but I do know that you will feel strange if you suddenly go from a high sugar intake to a lower one. Back in my sixth grade anti-drug program, we actually were encouraged to go without any table sugar for a couple weeks so we could feel the effect of a (slight) withdrawal. I don’t know if it was safe, but the symptoms the kids had matched the definition of withdrawal, and we hadn’t even been taught them yet. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/14 "2010-01-30T02:57:59Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > On a related note, I’ve heard that in the U.S., a typical chocolate bar can cost an entire payday, even up to $100000. Is that true? Give me a break! ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/15 "2010-02-03T08:02:23Z")
If you’re eating sugar by the buttload, you’re doing it wrong. I’ll give you a break **friedo** , as soon as I find that whatchamacallit. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-highs/526745/16 "2010-02-03T16:21:25Z")
**EvilTOJ** said: > [@](#): > > If you’re eating sugar by the buttload, you’re doing it wrong. _snickers_