A Sensible Way to Use Diet for ADHD

A sensible way to deal with possible food allergies in children is to eliminate potentially offending foods one at a time. For example, don’t give your child chocolate (and make sure he or she does not get chocolate at school or from friends) for a test period of 1 week. If your child appears better off, then quietly stop offering chocolate at home.

Repeat the process for wheat, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, refined sugar, citrus fruits, preservatives, coffee, and tea, eliminating just one food at a time and waiting to see if there are any changes. If you can make the changes in the foods you offer your child into a game, or associate them with a story, so much the better.

Adults with ADHD benefit from the same process, but tend to find it hard to get organized to make sure they stay on their diets. If there is a hyperactive adult in your life and you do not have ADHD, it may be up to you to help them organize their food testing to see if it will help get symptoms under control.

Why food additives are the last items you should restrict

Only after you have eliminated problems with the major food groups should you begin to restrict food additives. The reason for this is that you can spend a great deal of money and effort eliminating food additives, but still have symptoms because the diet contains far greater amounts of foods that cause the same problems.

Once problem foods have been eliminated, however, then it makes sense to take on food additives. The next step in dietary modification is eliminating food additives. The least-complicated way to eliminate food additives is to cook from scratch - a difficult undertaking for families in which both parents work. Another approach is to avoid foods sold in cellophane packages.

If time constraints in your household make it impossible to avoid all prepared foods, try avoiding the commercial antioxidants BHT and BHA, typically found in foods prepared with fat and stored without refrigeration, such as bread and baked goods. Then eliminate products made with emulsifier, such as pudding cups, canned soups, and ice cream, and foods containing the Aspirin-like compounds known as salicylates, such as raisins, prunes, curry powder, paprika, thyme, dill, oregano, and turmeric. Try each elimination for a week and if there is improvement in symptoms, continue it.

Preservatives like Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated Hydrozyttoluene (BHT), and TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone), commonly used in chips, nuts, and salad dressings, have shown effects on brain and behavior.

Artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, and Acesulfame Potassium, found in processed foods and drinks, have been linked to a range of health issues including effects on intelligence and memory. Salicylates, occurring naturally in many fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, and also found in man-made forms in food colorings, preservatives, and flavor enhancers, were discovered to induce ADHD symptoms. Bisphenols A or BPA, found in food and soda can linings and some plastic containers, can disrupt hormonal systems and are linked to various health issues including behavioral disorders.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), a common sweetener in processed foods, may contribute to obesity and disrupts brain neurotransmitters and chemistry. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), often used in processed foods to enhance flavor, is an excitotoxin that can overstimulate nerve cells and is linked to neurological and behavioral disorders.

Sodium Benzoate, used in salad dressings and carbonated beverages, may exacerbate hyperactive behavior in children. Sodium Nitrates and Nitrites, common in processed meats, are carcinogenic and can interfere with the thyroid and endocrine system. Sodium Sulfite, used in wine and dried fruits, can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals and is linked to asthma and other respiratory problems.

Diets for ADHD can truly work wonders. Just be sure to remove the biggest offenders before tackling the smallest ones.