Feingold's ADD Diet

ADD, or attention deficit disorder, is characterized by symptoms of inattentiveness, including not listening when others speak, becoming easily distracted by external stimuli, having trouble focusing on details and avoiding tasks that take sustained concentration. Although ADD currently has no cure, following Feingold's ADD diet might help alleviate some of the symptoms. The Feingold diet works to gradually eliminate artificial additives, salicylates and allergens from your diet. Talk to your doctor before putting yourself or your child on the Feingold diet.

History

The Feingold diet began in the 1970s when allergist Benjamin Feingold, M.D., started using a restricted diet program to treat his patients with asthma, hives and other allergy conditions. Dr. Feingold noticed that when he removed synthetic additives and specific foods from his patients' diets, they showed improvements in attention levels and behavior. The Feingold Association reports that the success rates for those who correctly follow the diet is more than 80 percent.

Step 1

Feingold's ADD diet has you eliminate any offending foods from your diet in three steps. The first step requires you to quit eating any synthetic food additives, including food dyes, artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners and synthetic preservatives. Synthetic food additives are made from petroleum and other chemicals that can cause allergic reactions, including inattentiveness and the inability to focus. Most processed food products contain artificial additives, so read the labels carefully. Replace foods with synthetic additives with natural, additive-free foods.

Step 2

The second step of Feingold's ADD diet consists of eliminating any foods with salicylates, a naturally occurring chemical that some plants produce as a form of pesticide. Many fruits contain this substance, including berries, apples, oranges and grapes. Tomatoes, mint flavoring and almonds also contain salicylates. The Feingold Association recommends that you also quit taking aspirin because it contains chemicals similar to the salicylates.

Step 3

If the first two steps don't help your ADD symptoms, the Feingold diet suggests that you also eliminate common allergenic foods. Laurine Brown, Ph.D.and MPH, from Illinois Wesleyan University, reports that common food allergies include wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, soy and peanuts. Signs that you might be allergic or sensitive to a food include a runny nose, flu-like symptoms and throat congestion. Try eliminating these foods for a week or two, and then add them back one at a time. Track the foods you eat and your reactions in a food diary.

Studies

CBS News reports that an analysis of 21 studies discovered that synthetic food dyes can cause inattentiveness and hyperactive behavior in some kids. These studies also found that eliminating artificial dyes is 25 to 50 percent as effective as stimulant medications in reducing ADD symptoms. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that while salicylates seem to trigger ADHD symptoms in some children, most studies show no benefits of following the Feingold diet.