Diet is being investigated for its role in the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and exacerbation of ADHD symptoms. While genes play a large role in the development of the disorder, ADHD may have environmental triggers. Because many children with allergies also have ADHD, researchers are studying the association.
Identification
ADHD is a common disorder that occurs before the age of 7, although it may not be diagnosed until adulthood. Symptoms can include being easily distracted, becoming bored easily, constantly moving, being impatient or interrupting. To be diagnosed as ADHD, symptoms must disrupt normal functioning. ADHD can be treated with medication and therapy.
History
ADHD was suggested to be a side effect of allergies in a 1989 study by P. Marshall in "Psychological Bulletin." Hyperactivity symptoms have been shown to decrease when children are put on a oligo-antigenic diet, or a diet in which foods that are common allergens have been removed, found a 1985 study published by J. Egger and colleagues in "The Lancet."
Association
Many children with ADHD suffer from allergic rhinitis, according to a 2004 study published by A. Brawley in the "Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology." Asthma does not appear to be associated with risk of ADHD, found a 1994 study published by J. Biederman in the "Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry."
Hypothesis
In a 2008 issue of "Pediatric Allergy and Immunology," L.M.J. Pelsser and colleagues hypothesized that ADHD is an allergic disorder or a non-allergic hypersensitivity disorder. Allergic disorders are caused by genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental triggers. Whether ADHD can be triggered by certain foods is still being researched.
Diet
Eliminating artificial flavors, preservatives and colors, and foods that commonly trigger allergies may reduce ADHD symptoms in some children, states a 2007 review by Eileen Cormier and Jennifer Harrison Elder in "Pediatric Nursing." Supplementation with carnitine, zinc and magnesium may also reduce ADHD symptoms, found a 2008 review by Luke T. Curtis and colleagues in the "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine." The review also stated that risk of ADHD may also be increased by essential fatty acid deficiency.
References
- "Psychological Bulletin;" Attention deficit disorder and allergy: a neurochemical model of the relation between the illnesses; P. Marshall; Nov. 1989.
- "The Lancet;" Controlled trial of oligo-antigenic treatment in the hyperkinetic syndrome; J. Egger et al.; March 1985.
- "Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology;" Allergic rhinitis in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; A. Brawley; June 2004.
- "Pediatric Allergy and Immunology;" ADHD as a (non) allergic hypersensitivity disorder: A hypothesis; L.M.J. Pelsser et al.; 2008.
- "Pediatric Nursing;" Diet and Child Behavior Problems: Fact or Fiction?; Eileen Cormier, Jennifer Harrison Elder; March-April 2007
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