Pure orange juice is a valuable source of vitamin C but can you have too much of a good thing? What does raisingkids.co.uk's paediatric dietitian, David Swain, recommend?

Raisingkids member's problem
My 14 yr-old son's having violent temper tantrums and recently broke the computer monitor, amongst other things.

He's drinking a lot of pure orange juice from a carton. Do you think this could be affecting his behaviour and would apple juice be any better?

David's advice
As I explained in Hyperactivity & Diet, it's not known exactly how many foods affect behaviour and exactly which ones trigger hyperactive behaviour. However, too much of any one thing is often detrimental to one's health and I'd recommend reducing the amount of juice your son is drinking.

Indeed, although orange juice is rich in vitamin C and is generally deemed to be a healthy drink, it's also acidic and can help cause tooth decay. Try giving him just one small glass of orange juice each morning for breakfast, as part of a balanced and varied diet, and see if this helps his behaviour. I have no evidence to suggest apple juice would be better but I think the important message is 'everything in moderation'.

Finally, I recommend contacting our behavioural expert and see if she could help with the situation. You do not say how long these temper tantrums have been occuring or how frequent they are but she may be able to give some advice to help.

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