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ADHD and Diet: Is There a Link Between Sugar and Hyperactivity, and Is There Really an Effective Diet for ADHD? |
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By Tess Thompson
In the 1970's, Dr. Ben Feingold developed what came to be known
as the "Feingold Diet" after he thought he noticed a link
between certain foods and hyperactivity in children. The
ingredients he flagged to avoid were mostly food additives which
he thought were causing allergic reactions in some of his
patients, but sugar was also on the list.
For years following, Dr. Feingold's theory grew in popularity
and acceptance, but the theory was based only on his patient's
testimonials, and a link between sugar and hyperactivity has yet
to be proven in studies.
While there is not overwhelming conclusive evidence that any
particular food will cause or prevent hyperactivity, a
well-balanced diet that is rich in a variety of brain-healthy
foods will benefit anyone, and some preliminary studies have
found certain food types to have a positive effect on children
with ADHD.
Contrary to Dr. Feingold's theory, some recent studies have
shown that large amounts of sugar can have a numbing effect on
children and can actually induce tiredness. These days, most
doctors agree that while limited amounts of sugar are acceptable
in a diet, large amounts can be harmful in a variety |
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of ways,
even if sugar has not been shown to have a particularly negative
effect on ADHD and treatment of it.
One study by the George Washington University School of Medicine
found that children who ate a protien-rich meal performed as
well or better afterwards in school than children without ADHD.
Foods that are high in protien include meat, fish, milk, yogurt,
beans, peanut butter and eggs.
There is also various research, including a study done by Oxford
University in London, which suggests that including Omega-3
fatty acids in hyperactive children's diets will moderate their
ADHD symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids are often lacking in the
average American diet, but can be found in salmon, mackarel,
sardines and flax oil.
Both protiens and omega-3 fatty acids should be a part of
everyone's diets, and it is important to remember to moderate
your child's intake of any one food group. In general, green
vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protiens and healthy fats
should all be included in your child's daily diet.
Removing as many simple and refined carbohydrates as possible
from your child's diet could have a positive effect as well.
These kinds of carbohydrates include candy, cake, |
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Untitled Document
Title: Get Your Diet Back on Track After Thanksgiving Category: Health News Created: 12/1/2008 Last Editorial Review: 12/1/2008
Thanks to poor dental hygiene, researchers are getting a more detailed understanding of what people ate thousands of years ago in what is now Peru.
'Eat, Shrink & Be Merry" - it's the title of a fun cookbook by two sisters, Janet and Greta Podleski that I found on the 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Web site (3fatchicks.com).
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