Hyperactivity, also known as minimal brain damage (MBD), minimal brain dysfunction, hyperkinesis, learning disability, attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), affects approximately 10 percent of all children in the United States. Hyperactivity is often accompanied by emotional problems including obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, Tourette's syndrome or developmental delays. Treatment is varied and includes medications, behavioral therapy and often an "elimination diet" program, as originally pioneered in the 1960s by Dr. Benjamin Feingold.
Hyperactivity
According to the Feingold Association, diet is a primary cause of hyperactivity that affects children and often continues to affect them into adulthood. Medications are generally used to treat symptoms; however, Feingold believed that effective treatment required looking deeper into the actual cause of ADHD in his patients, who usually presented with various symptoms that revealed what he called a "short fuse." According to CNN, hyperactivity often corresponds with impulsive behavior, low self-esteem, difficulty in building relationships and poor school performance.
Eliminating Toxins
Originally, the Feingold Diet was used to identify and to treat allergies. It was actually a comprehensive program that eliminated artificial coloring, dyes that were potentially toxic for certain patients, aspartame, the preservatives BHA, BTA and TBHQ, as well as salicylates in foods, chemically similar to aspirin. In some patients, he also discovered a sensitivity to monosodium glutonate or MSG, sodium benzoate, nitrites and sulfites.
Food Restrictions
According to the University of Maryland, in addition to eliminating certain foods from his patient's diets, including yellow, red and green food coloring, Feingold also recommended elimination of milk, chocolate, eggs, wheat and foods with salicylates, including all berries, chili powder, cider, apples, cloves, grapes, oranges, peaches, plums, peppers and prunes. In addition to eliminating specific foods, the Feingold Program also strongly recommends restriction of fragrances and non-food items such as aspirin.
Considerations
Though originally developed for hyperactive children, the Feingold diet is also recommended by some for adults living with ADHD that persists into the adult years, according to CNN. It has been estimated by the Feingold Association that approximately 50 to 70 percent of all patients on the Feingold Program experience improvement of symptoms.
Warning
It is important to note that though the Feingold Program reports significant improvement of symptoms in patients experiencing hyperkinesis and impulsivity, further study has not found the diet to be successful in treating ADHD. Additionally, it is vitally important to work closely with a physician while following this program, and it is not meant to replace medication or behavioral therapy modalities.
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