Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, impairs focus and concentration which makes it difficult for children to interact with peers, pay attention and behave appropriately. Many children with ADHD benefit from treatment with medication, behavioral therapy or both, but some parents also report success with dietary interventions. Before changing your child's diet, discuss your plans with your child's ADHD doctor, who can weigh the impact of dietary changes on your child's current treatment plan.
Feingold Program
The Feingold Program, based on the work of Ben Feingold, a California allergist, involves eliminating artificial colorings, flavorings, preservatives and aspartame from the diet. The Feingold program also cuts out foods with salicylates, an ingredient found in aspirin. During his work in the 1960s, Feingold noticed that parents who eliminated additives and preservatives from their kids' diets reported calmer, better-behaved children. The Feingold Association website reports that parents and children who follow the Feingold elimination diet usually see behavioral improvements within 3 days to 3 weeks.
Supplementation Diet
Nutrient deficiencies could contribute to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in many children, and feeding kids sardines, tuna, salmon or fish oil supplements could reduce hyperactivity symptoms by up to 50 percent. Researchers think that children with ADHD break down omega-3 fatty acids, critical for optimal brain and nerve function, more readily than other children. Children with behavioral symptoms may also lack dietary zinc, iron, B vitamins and magnesium. To combat nutritional deficiencies in your child's diet, have him take a daily multivitamin and talk to your child's doctor about the possibility of testing for nutritional deficiencies.
Sugar-Free Diet
Eliminating sugar from your child's diet could improve symptoms of attention deficit disorder, according to ADDitude. University of South Carolina researchers who studied hyperactive children found that the more sugar kids ingested, the greater their restlessness. Scientists have longer debated whether sugar-free diets help behavioral symptoms in children with attention deficit disorder, and no definitive conclusions exist. To eliminate sugar from your child's diet, avoid foods with corn sweetener or syrup, dehydrated cane juice, dextrose, maltodextrin, molasses, sucrose or sorghum in the ingredients list.
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