ADHD diet study: Eating more healthily could improve behaviour of children with ADHD

By
Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 10:38 AM on 10th January 2012

Simply eating more healthily can improve the behavior of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder if therapy and medication fails to work, a study has revealed.

Researchers said that there was conflicting evidence on the impact of supplements and restricted diets for people suffering from ADHD – and in some cases they were no better than the placebo effect.

The report, by doctors at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, argued nutritional intervention should therefore be considered as a secondary approach to treating the condition.

Healthy option: Eating a balanced diet could help improve the behaviour of children with ADHD if they don't respond to therapy or drug treatment, a study has found (file picture)

Healthy option: Eating a balanced diet could help improve the behaviour of children with ADHD if they don’t respond to therapy or drug treatment, a study has found (file picture)

It said: ‘Supplemental diet therapy is simple, relatively inexpensive, and more acceptable to patient and parent.

‘Public education regarding a healthy diet pattern and lifestyle to prevent or control ADHD may have greater long-term success.’

The study reviewed research published on the sugar-restricted, additive-free Feingold Diet, megavitamin therapies, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and the suspected link between ADHD and a ‘Western-style’ high-fat, low-fibre diet.

Three to five per cent of U.S. schoolchildren – around 5million youths – are diagnosed with ADHD. Symptoms include hyperactive behaviour, inability to pay attention and impulsivity.

It is often treated with stimulant medications, including the controversial Ritalin drug.

The causes of the condition are unknown, although studies have pointed to hereditary factors as well as social and environmental influences. Eating high-sugar and high-fat foods are also thought to exacerbate the symptoms.

Healthy diet: Mackerel fish, rich in omega 3 oils. The study has found conflicting evidence of the success of dietary supplements for children with ADHD

Healthy diet: Mackerel fish, rich in omega 3 oils. The study has found conflicting evidence of the success of dietary supplements for children with ADHD

Interventions including giving iron supplements or cutting out additives and food dyes have soared in popularity in recent years, but the study says there is little evidence to back these claims.

For many parents, simply paying more attention to feeding their children a healthy diet rich in fish, vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole-grains is likely to help, the study said.

‘A greater attention to the education of parents and children in a healthy dietary pattern, omitting items shown to predispose to ADHD, is perhaps the most promising and practical complementary or alternative treatment of ADHD,’ it added.

Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioural pediatrics at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York, said: ‘We have more questions than answers.

‘It is unfortunate that more research is not being done to examine the role of dietary interventions for the treatment of ADHD.

‘Since some of these nutritional interventions cannot be parented, drug companies are not willing to underwrite the costs of the needed research.’

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Most people working in schools have known this for years. And most mothers with any sense, would not give their children certain things before bed. Is this news!

Another food “scare”. Sorry, but the day the DISCIPLINE, respect for the teacher, the culture of “self esteem” and the prizes for all Marxist doctrine was imposed on our knowledge-lite, propagandized, risk-averse State Daytime Holding Penientiaries aka Komprensiv Skoollzz the myth that is ADHD has skyrocketed. I call it BBLB, Badly Behaved Little Bleeder, as they all know their “rights” and use it to bludgeon teachers into submission. Forget the “additives”, it is time to get rid of a multitude of so-called “experts”.

Before anyone goes down the tablet route..please give some simple things a go..cut out sugar, pare down so almost nothing is processed, cutting out artificial additives and colours and …increase omega 3 in the diet and give a good strength omega 3 supplement. Impose firm discipline and be firm on bedtime routine, winding down with a book, NO TELLY. video games 2 hours before bed. Ensure they have a long night’s sleep. Make sure the schools do not sell fizzy drinks or rubbish at dinnertime, otherwise they won’t behave or concentrate and learn properly. These Ritalin tablets were prescribed for my Grandson and he had headaches in the morning, dark eyes and just subdued his personality. Couldn’t watch it continue and I believe they were doing more harm than good. He came off them a long time ago.He’s boisterous but no different to how my brother was. Except around him were firm boundaries, mature teachers, more discipline at school and a healthy diet and a lot of fresh fish shops.

I have a friend whose eldest daughter has ADHD. When she was younger her behaviour was quite challenging although she has always been a lovely thoughtful young lady. My friend started growing a lot of her own fruit and veg and restricted some foods that seemed to increase the difficult behaviour. Her daughter has never been on any medication to combat this, she just has a good diet and has learned to try and control her behaviour. She is a credit to her family.

In the days before everthing was processed to death and made into garish colours peoples life expectancy was about half of what it is now .sedentry lifestyles cause more problems than the food industry lazy kids will get fat doing nothing on whatever you feed them .Whilst you may benefit from eating sensibly getting your lard backside away from your console and tv is equally as beneficial modern life in the west is a killer.

As any teacher can tell you – trying to teach youngsters who have come back from a packed lunch full of additives is no fun at all!

Tell us something that we DON’T already know! Processed sugar is horrible for children and adults alike and not just because of what it does to the body physically but also what it does mentally… This is a very OBVIOUS segment/story.

I am bout read ready to scream. WHY,WHY is thje word “more” used so unnecessaril?. Why not just say “healthier” . We are living in a world where it seems everyone talks in superlatives. What will be next??? Yes, there are times when the word “more” is appropriate, but it is now used excesively. YUK

Well, there’s a surprise. I and my colleagues in the teaching profession have been preaching this message for years, but did anybody listen?

We have been following the Feingold diet for several years to help my son..it is a simple, easy-to-follow plan that removes food dyes and artificial junk out of food. Our entire family uses these guidelines and we are all much healthier for it. Basically, it’s a return to the days before everything was processed to death and made into garish colors. I highly recommend it before giving children drugs as the first solution.

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