| ADHD and Diet: Can Your Child's Diet Ease the Symptoms of ADHD? |
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Decades after studies about the correlation between ADHD and diet were initiated, the topic still seems to be controversial to scientists. Different studies present varying results and these results are interpreted differently in various scientific circles. The fact still remains, however, that clinical dieticians and families who have gone through diet restrictions continue with diet modification for the simple reason that they get results. There are people with ADHD who experience alleviated symptoms when they are able to stick to a restricted diet, and the recurrence of these symptoms when they fail to stick to their diet. The Feingold Diet Perhaps one of the earliest attempts of shedding light to the ADHD diet was in 1973 when an allergist named Dr. Ben Feingold was invited to present his findings about food and ADHD to the American Medical Association. Dr. Feingold's study into this correlation was brought about by accidentally treating a patient's personality disorder after treating her severe case of hives. The hives were treated through diet modification of a low-salicylate diet and the elimination of artificial coloring and flavoring. Dr. Feingold eventually tried his modified diet on children and adults with personality disorders and found out that it was effective with most of them even if they don't show allergy symptoms like his first successful patient. Later, his diet became well-known for helping children with hyperactivity and learning disabilies. In 1976, he reported that 360 children who were managed by the Feingold Diet showed favorable responses, enough to take them off their medication. These days, the Feingold Diet eliminates the following in the diet of patients:
Earliest Challenges Quite predictably, the earliest challenges that the Feingold Diet encountered are from corporations that use and manufacture the synthetic flavors, preservatives, colorings, and sweeteners that were eliminated from the diet. It's a highly-politicized issue until now, mainly because it involves calling to question the multi-billion dollar food and chemical industry. It's important to note that your diet does not cause ADHD, and that the symptoms of ADHD are still best controlled by medication. However, studies show that people with ADHD do bette with a protein-rich diet. This is mainly because of the fact that the brain's neurotransmitters' alertness is triggered by protein while carbohydrates triggers their drowsiness. Eating a protein-rich diet can also help alleviate the side effects of ADHD medication such as irritability and restlessness. A cup of soy milk in the morning, an ounce of cheese, a couple of slices of meat a day can make a big difference on an ADHD child's symptom management. Elimination Diet for ADHD According to studies, certain foods may worsen the symptoms of ADHD for some people. There seem to be some difference in food that causes symptoms to reappear. For example, while artificial food coloring and flavoring triggers unwanted behavior in some children, there are other children who don't seem to be as sensitive to these substances. The best way to identify which foods are causing these unwanted reactions is through an elimination diet. On an elimination diet, you start off by preparing things which are most unlikely to trigger unwanted behavior in your child. A lot of it will be rich in protein. Here are a few examples:
Once you have established a safe baseline, you can slowly add different foods and see whether this food causes an unwanted reaction in your child. For example, on the first week you can try adding his favorite cereal and see if it causes a reaction. If it triggers changes in the sleeping pattern, hyperactivity, or other symptoms, you can take it out of the diet and try something else next week. Children do outgrow their sensitivity to certain foods. If your child turns out to be sensitive to something he/she loves to eat, you can wait for a year and try to reintroduce it to his/her diet. Sugar and ADHD Foods Many studies present conflicting results on how sugar affects the symptoms of people with ADHD. In as far as food for ADHD people go, the fact still remain that dietary sucrose, aspartame, and sugar carry no real nutritional value. At the very least, people who eat too much of it may be missing out on the other important nutrients that may be more essential to their daily needs. Nutrients that will help them keep calm and focused and control the unwanted symptoms of ADHD.
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