ADD/ADHD and Your Diet

Diet has been shown in some studies to decrease certain ADD/ADHD symptoms. More research has been completed on the relevance of diet and children with ADD/ADHD; however, these findings are likely to have an impact on adults with ADD/ADHD.

Supplements for ADD / ADHD

In a recent study, researchers compared a group of children treated with Ritalin to another group which received a mix of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids, essential fatty acids, phospholipids, and probiotics. Both groups showed significant and improvement. The treatment was based around these known eight risk factors for ADD/ADHD: food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low-protein/high-carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, essential fatty acid and phospholipid deficiencies, amino acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, and B-vitamin deficiencies. They concluded that the findings supported the effectiveness of food supplement treatment in improving attention in children with ADD/ADHD. Some researchers even claimed that food supplement treatment of ADHD may be of equal efficacy to prescription drug treatment.

The Feingold Diet

Dr. Benjamin Feingold theorized that artificial flavorings and preservatives in food marketed to children were causing them to be hyperactive. He devised an extremely strict ADHD diet with no preservatives or additives for the treatment of ADD/ADHD. Studies in Australia and the United States have shown a high improvement in children placed on diets which eliminate dyes, preservatives and foods commonly associated with allergic reactions. Dr. Feingold found that many of his ADD/ADHD patients were allergic to the artificial colorings, flavors, preservatives, and the salicylic compounds found in aspirin and many berry fruits. A criticism of the Feingold diet is that it is difficult to follow, especially for children.

Excess Sugar

Another factor causing hyperactivity in children are blood sugar problems. Normally, when sugar is ingested, the pancreas releases insulin, which stops blood sugar from rising too high. At the same time, adrenal glands release certain hormones to keep the insulin from driving blood sugar levels too low. According to research, children with ADD/ADHD release only about half of the amount of hormones as normal children. It was found that this uncontrolled drop in blood sugar significantly decreased brain activity in these children. Since many of the foods marketed at children are high in sugar, a simple reduction in a few meals (primarily sugary breakfast foods) can help to alleviate symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD.

Magnesium deficiency

Other considerations are different nutritional deficiencies. The majority of Americans do not meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium, including children. A deficiency of magnesium can present common psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, restlessness, and irritability. Several studies show that ADHD children are deficient in many common minerals, most often in magnesium, zinc, and iron, and that magnesium supplementation significantly decreases the hyperactivity symptoms in these children.