Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a neuro-developmental disorder of attention and behavior that, according to the website Wrong Diagnosis, affects 3 percent to 5 percent of American children. A 2005 study in the Journal of Attention Disorders suggests that 3 percent of adults conform to narrow definitions of ADHD, and as many as 16 percent of adults display sub-clinical levels of ADHD symptoms. Children and adults with ADHD manifest symptoms that include inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, or some combination of these symptoms.
Food Toxicology and ADHD
Food toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals and substances in food. A steadily growing body of research suggests that dietary factors may influence the emergence and severity of ADHD symptoms. Food additives such as food coloring, flavorings, bleaching agents, aspartame, thickeners, preservatives and vegetable gums may cause or worsen ADHD symptoms. Most studies of the effects of food toxins on ADHD have focused on children.
Feingold's Elimination Diet
In the early 1970s, clinical allergist Dr. Benjamin Feingold suggested that artificial additives, flavors, colors and preservatives can cause ADHD-like symptoms in certain children. Feingold developed a diet program that eliminated these substances from children's diets. Dr. Feingold claimed that many children showed significant improvement in their symptoms. Independent research on the effect of these additives wrought mixed results for several decades, but research since 2000 has continued to bolster Feingold's claims. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, officially switched its stance from skepticism to endorsement of some of Feingold's clinical observations. The AAP published a grand rounds address that suggested that ADHD children should avoid food with additives, including food colors, aspartame, monosodium glutamate and nitrates, such as are added to lunch meat.
Salicylate Sensitivity
Many plants, vegetables, fruits and herbs contain chemicals called salicylates. These chemicals protect plants from harmful bacteria, diseases, fungi and insects. Some perfumes, medicines and preservatives contain synthetic salicylates. A relatively small proportion of the population develops a pharmacologic response to the accumulation of salicylates in their bodies, a condition referred to as salicylate sensitivity. This is not an allergic response, but rather is more like a side effect to medications. Salicylate sensitivity effects can include ADHD symptoms including deficits in attention, hyperactivity, irritability and disruption to concentration. Effects are not immediate. They can take as long as 48 hours to appear once the threshold accumulation is crossed. Effects appear as chronic because they result from accumulative exposure.
Artificial Food Colorings and Preservatives
A 2004 study published in the Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics evaluated the influence of food colorings on hyperactivity, a cardinal symptom of ADHD. Authors Dr. D.W. Schab and Dr. N.H. Trinh concluded that artificially food colors increase hyperactivity. Other sources, including Beach Psych and The Daily Green report that artificial preservatives also heighten ADHD symptoms.
Elimination and Challenge Diet
Allergy tests will not identify the pharmacologic reactions triggered by food toxins. In consultation with your doctor, pediatrician or allergist, employ an elimination diet to ascertain if particular sensitivities contribute to ADHD symptoms in you or your child. Eliminate potentially offending foods from your diet for three to six weeks. Monitor ADHD symptoms for improvement. If ADHD improves, then that food additive or food sensitivities may be partially to blame. Reintroduce offending foods one at a time, still monitoring ADHD symptoms. If symptoms reappear after reintroducing foods, then you might eliminate that food from your diet. Certain toxins, such as salicylates, are especially difficult to pin down as triggers because reactions occur only following an accumulation of the toxins in the body.
Foods to Eliminate
Foods you should avoid during the elimination diet include foods containing salicylates, such as nectarines, cherries, almonds, prunes, oranges, apples, raisins, peaches, apricots, raspberries, grapes, blackberries, strawberries, plums and boysenberries. Also, steer clear of processed foods, lunch meats, and foods with preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics: ADHD and Food Additives Revisited
- Beach Psych: Food Additives Associated With ADHD Symptoms
- Feingold: Selection of Studies Supporting Diet Therapy
- Journal of Attention Disorders: What is the Prevalence of adult ADHD?
- Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics: Do artificial food colors promote hyperactivity in children with hyperactive syndromes?
