Many children have occasional bouts of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, the hallmark symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. However, a criterion for diagnosis is that symptoms must appear before the age of 7 and persist for a minimum of six months, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Tweaking your child's diet may help, but if troubles at school, at home or with peers arise because of your child's behaviors, consult your pediatrician.
Missing Minerals in ADHD
Natalie Sinn writes in a 2008 article in "Nutrition Reviews" that studies have shown that low levels of several dietary minerals correspond with ADHD symptoms. Insufficient levels of the mineral zinc, which is required for the developing brain, correlate not only with ADHD symptoms but also with their severity. Researchers also discovered iron levels were twice as low in children with an ADHD diagnosis as compared with their non-ADHD peers. Deficiencies in magnesium, a mineral that helps regulate nervous excitability, are also common among ADHD patients. Scientists are still not sure whether taking mineral supplements is of value in ADHD, especially since mineral deficiencies do not account for all ADHD cases.
The Role of Food Dyes
The question of whether food dyes lead to ADHD symptoms was first raised in the 1970s. It was then that pediatrician Benjamin Feingold claimed that his ADHD patients showed a reduction in symptoms with the elimination of food dyes and other chemicals from their diets. Feingold's contention is still controversial. In April 2011, the Food and Drug Administration vowed to conduct further study of the link between food coloring and ADHD. According to the Food and Drug Administration, food dyes may worsen pre-existing behavioral problems in children with ADHD, but they do not cause them.
Elimination Diets
A clinical study published in 2011 in "Lancet," a prestigious medical journal, concluded a strict elimination diet was useful for 64 percent of children with ADHD. In the study, a group of children with ADHD received a restricted diet based on rice, meat, vegetables, pears, water and other foods. If a child's behavior improved on this diet, researchers gradually reintroduced other foods. The reintroduction of various foods caused a substantial relapse in behavioral symptoms in the majority of those studied. The authors concluded that elimination diets might help to identify cases of food-induced ADHD and pinpoint the specific foods that cause symptoms in each patient. A qualified health care professional must supervise an elimination diet.
Healthy Eating Habits for ADHD
According to a 2009 article in "ADDitude" magazine, Dr. Ned Hallowell, author of the book "Driven to Distraction," recommends that ADHD patients consume several servings daily of unrefined grains. This is to prevent spikes and plummets in blood glucose, a condition that can lead to mood swings and fatigue. He also suggests that his patients divide their dinner plates into sections, and fill half of the plate with vegetables or fruits, one quarter of the plate with a protein, and one quarter with healthy carbohydrates.
References
- "Lancet"; Effects of a Restricted Elimination Diet on the Behavior of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; L.M. Pelsser et al; Feb. 5, 2011
- "ADDitude": The ADHD Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid
- "Nutrition Reviews"; Nutritional and Dietary Influences on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; N. Sinn; October 2008
- CNN Health: FDA Weighs Food Dye, Hyperactivity Link
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: ADHD -- A Guide for Families
