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Research has shown that high-fructose corn syrup intake can potentially cause pediatric mood disorders. If you’re unfamiliar with it, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a food sweetener and preservative found in many prepared foods and beverages.
HFCS was invented in 1957 by biochemists Richard O. Marshall and Earl R. Kooi at the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station. It was created by using the glucose isomerase enzyme to convert corn syrup’s glucose into fructose and was patented in 1960.
Around 1965–1967, technological advancements in Japan led to more efficient production methods of HFCS. In the early 1970s, HFCS-42 (containing 42% fructose) was the first variant to be widely marketed in the U.S. food supply. In the late 1970s, HFCS-55 (55% fructose) was introduced specifically for the beverage industry to match the sweetness of sucrose. During the early 1980’s, major beverage companies Coca-Cola (1980) and Pepsi (1984) fully transitioned to HFCS in their products.
Consumption of HFCS is associated with behaviors seen in ADHD, bipolar disorder, and aggression. Recent studies show that fructose is a unique nutrient that stimulates an innate survival pathway for many species that involves the foraging for food with storage of the energy as fat. Fructose is unique among all nutrients in its ability to trigger a starvation-like signal even in the absence of true starvation. The reason relates to the specific way fructose is metabolized. Specifically, fructose mimics a starvation-like state by dropping the energy, known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the cell during its metabolism. While the metabolism of all nutrients uses energy, when fructose is metabolized, the energy levels fall more because of an absence of a feedback mechanism to stop the metabolism if energy levels fall too low.
Another recent study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is shedding light on the mechanisms by which high fructose consumption early in life may directly impact brain development and increase the risk of anxiety disorders. The findings were published in Nature, one of the world’s premier scientific journals.
For the study, the researchers looked at the impact of a high-fructose diet on brain development in mice, both in offspring born to mothers fed fructose, as well as neonates given the extra sweetener directly. The amount was roughly equivalent to a soda a day in people, as noted in the study. In both cases, the researchers saw reduced phagocytosis in the developing mice. The results revealed that mice exposed to high fructose as neonates develop anxiety-like behavior as adolescents, indicating that high-fructose exposure during early life is associated with increased prevalence of adolescent anxiety disorders.
Both research and clinical observations suggest that HFCS can significantly influence child behavior by altering brain chemistry and triggering physiological crashes. High intake of HFCS can trigger symptoms of ADHD, including difficulty concentrating, impulsivity, and restlessness.
Excessive consumption of HFCS during childhood and adolescence can impair hippocampal function, leading to long-term learning issues and lack of motivation. It is also associated with mood swings and aggression. This is due to rapid blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes that can trigger stress hormones, such as adrenaline. As a result, it can cause irritability and aggressive behavior in children.
High HFCS diets can lead to neuroinflammation in brain regions responsible for emotion and reward, which can contribute to depression and anxiety. HFCS can cause dopamine dysregulation by overstimulating the brain’s reward system, leading to addictive-like cravings and a subsequent decrease in natural motivation when it is initially removed from the diet. Fructose metabolism also produces uric acid, which can trigger a stress response in the hippocampus and stimulate inflammatory cytokines associated with behavioral disorders.
HFCS can also cause blood sugar instability. Unlike glucose, fructose is processed primarily in the liver. Therefore, it does not signal satiation in the same way, leading to possible overconsumption and metabolic crashes impacting mood and behavior.
According to Gary L. Wenk, Ph.D., professor of psychology, neuroscience, molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State University, author of Your Brain on Food and Psychology Today contributor: “Adolescents are the top consumers of high-fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages and snacks. Adolescence is a critical period of development during which the brain undergoes rapid maturation. A recent study identified a mechanistic link between consuming high-fructose corn syrup and persistent behavioral and molecular changes leading to a dysfunction in learning and memory as well as affective behaviors, such as decreased motivation and an increase in passive coping behaviors. The study also determined that these neurological changes persisted in adulthood. The biochemistry of the brain was also affected. The high-fructose diet reduced the number of healthy acetylcholine neurons; this change is a precursor to those occurring during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Historical Trends in Pediatric Mood Disorders
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses in children have undergone a dramatic upward trend from 1970 through 2025. In the 1970s and 1980s, ADHD (then often called “Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood”) was relatively rare, with fewer than 500,000 children diagnosed in the U.S. The 1980 release of the DSM-III officially introduced “ADD” (with or without hyperactivity), followed by the “ADHD” designation in 1987. National surveys showed the percentage of U.S. children ever diagnosed rose from approximately 6.1% in 1997 to 10.2% in 2016. By 2022, approximately 7.1 million U.S. children (11.4%, or 1 in 9) had received a diagnosis—an increase of 1 million children compared to 2016.
BIPOLAR DISORDER
In the 1970s–1980s, bipolar disorder was rarely diagnosed in children. It was largely considered an adult-onset condition, with symptoms in youth often attributed to “childhood depression” or personality disorders. However, in the mid-1990s, the “Pediatric Bipolar Disorder” (PBD) construct gained popularity in the U.S., leading to an explosion in diagnoses. Outpatient office visits for youth (0–19) with a bipolar diagnosis surged from 25 per 100,000 in 1994 to 1,003 per 100,000 in 2003.Bipolar-related hospital discharges for children jumped from 1.3 per 10,000 in 1996 to 7.3 per 10,000 by 2004. Following concerns about over-diagnosis, the 2013 Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) diagnosis was introduced as a more accurate label for chronic childhood irritability. As a result, inpatient bipolar diagnoses in youth began to decline. However, in 2025, approximately 2.9% of youth have been given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, with nearly 2.6% reported as experiencing severe impairment.
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Following its introduction, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) diagnoses rose steadily. New treatment episode rates increased from 0.87 to 1.75 per 1,000 patient-years between 2016 and 2018. The rise in DMDD was paralleled by a decrease in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (BPD) diagnoses, suggesting clinicians shifted toward using DMDD to more accurately classify chronic, non-episodic irritability. Recent data from 2023 to 2025 indicates that while the “novelty” of the diagnosis has leveled off, it remains a frequent classification in clinical settings, due to its high association with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) remains one of the most common reasons for pediatric mental health referrals, with prevalence rates holding steady through 2025. The average prevalence is estimated at 3.3%. Depending on the diagnostic criteria used, community sample estimates typically range from 1% to 11%. However, rates are significantly higher among children already receiving mental health services, ranging from 28% to 65%. ODD is most frequently diagnosed in late preschool or early school years, usually manifesting by age 8. Prevalence tends to decrease as children age into late adolescence, largely due to changes in diagnoses as the child progresses in age.
The Important Takeaway
Historical trends in pediatric mood disorders and the timeline regarding proliferation of HFCS show coinciding growth since the late 1960s, indicating a correlation between pediatric mood disorders and HFCS. These trends, coupled with the recent studies mentioned above, suggest that parents and caregivers should take a closer look at HFCS as potentially being the root cause of pediatric mood disorders.
If your child or adolescent experiences irritability or fatigue roughly 30–60 minutes after he or she consumes any food or beverage containing HFCS, more than likely HFCS is the culprit. Therefore, it’s always best to check the ingredient lists for “high fructose corn syrup” or “corn syrup” on items in boxes, bags, or cans and avoid purchasing them.
HFCS hides in many processed foods. Common foods containing HFCS include:
There are several apps you can use to spot HFCS. These apps work by scanning barcodes or searching their extensive databases to check product ingredients making it easier to spot HFCS on grocery store shelves. Here’s a few:
Final Thoughts
Avoid purchasing foods and beverages containing high-fructose corn syrup at the grocery store. Instead, offer your family members filtered water with berries, lemon, lime, or cucumbers for added flavor. This can be made in a tall glass pitcher and stored in the refrigerator. Offer them whole food snacks, such as nuts, fruits, and fresh veggie sticks, instead of cookies, ice cream, or candy. Go with homemade baked goods instead of store-bought ones.
It may take a bit of extra time and effort to remove foods and beverages containing HFCS from your family’s diet, but it’s well worth it for their health and well-being. It will also lessen your stress level, as you’ll no longer have to deal with HFCS-related childhood meltdowns or HFCS-related adolescent irritability and mood swings .
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090513820301215
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8117086
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