An estimated 5.4 million children between the ages of four and 17 have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bipolar disorder affects about three percent of children, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While there is no single diet that can cure these disorders, certain foods and nutrients have been known to ease symptoms and improve mood.
Dual Diagnosis
Most of the children diagnosed with bipolar disorder also meet many of the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis, according to George T. Lynn, a licensed mental health counselor. On the other hand, just 22 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD also have symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder. ADHD and bipolar disorder are two radically different conditions but can share some common characteristics. Children with a dual diagnosis tend to be impulsive and inattentive. As they age, their craving for stimulation manifests as hypomanic and can lead to severe depression.
ADHD Diet
In 2011, researchers from the Netherlands studied the effects of diet on kids with moderate to severe ADHD. One group of four- to 8-year-olds was assigned to five weeks of a restricted elimination diet, consisting primarily of rice, white meat, vegetables and fruit; it excluded wheat, tomatoes, oranges, eggs and dairy. A second group was counseled on healthy eating but had no dietary restrictions. By the end of the intervention, 64 percent of the children in the diet group saw a significant improvement in a variety of ADHD characteristics. When the study authors reintroduced certain eliminated foods, a significant behavioral relapse occurred.
Nutrition and Bipolar
While malnourishment affects a child's mood and ability to learn, there is very little evidence that nutrients that have a positive effect on normal children have any effect on kids with bipolar disorder. Based on several reports that micronutrients could be beneficial in treating co-occurring bipolar disorder and ADHD, doctors in New Zealand treated a young patient in 2010 with a formula consisting of a variety of vitamins and minerals. After eight weeks, the patient reported a reduction in mood, anxiety, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms. When the patient stopped taking the formula, after eight weeks her symptoms returned to baseline. The same researchers did a follow-up study with dual-diagnosis children and had similar results. In 2009, researchers in Iran gave bipolar adults folic acid along with a mood stabilizer. By the end of the study, the patients saw a reduction in acute manic symptoms. Additional studies should be done, according to the study authors, to see if these results translate to other bipolar populations.
Dietary Obsessions
The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation surveyed parents of more than 1,000 bipolar children and found that 65 percent "craved sweet-tasting food or carbohydrates" often, very often or constantly. This craving, it turns out, has a biological and medication-induced basis that makes it difficult to control, especially in extraordinarily impulsive children. To cope with a child with such intense food cravings, some parents report rationing their child's favorite foods rather than eliminating them altogether, which can lead to intense behavioral episodes. You can also bargain with the child, insisting that she eat a piece of fruit or salad before loading up on carbs. This way, she can fill up a little, get some necessary nourishment and also accommodate her cravings.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- National Institute of Mental Health: Bipolar Disorder Among Children
- "Los Angeles Times"; A Closer Look: Diet's Role In Treating ADHD Debated; Jill U. Adams; March 2011
- "Differentiating AD/HD from Bipolar Disorder in Children"; George T. Lynn; 2001
- "The Bipolar Child Newsletter"; Carbohydrate Cravings in Children With Bipolar Disorder; Demitri Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos, et al.
- The Lancet: Effects of a Restricted Elimination Diet on the Behavior of Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Lidy M. Pelsser, et al., 2001
