Can the Right Diet Ease ADD Symptoms?
One study, published in the December 2004 issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, analyzed 15 previously published studies and concluded that artificial food colors exacerbate hyperactivity, irritability, and insomnia in some kids with ADD.
Many parents use the Feingold diet with their kids who have ADD, saying there are obvious benefits. Marilee Jones of Oakdale, Connecticut, put her son, now 17, on the Feingold diet when he was a toddler. Prior to the diet, he was hyperactive and had dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping. "We put him on the diet, and everything changed. He became a normal 18-month-old," says Jones, who now works for the Feingold Association.
Even now, says Jones, her son notices that if he strays too far from the diet and, say, indulges in a soft drink with artificial food coloring, his personality changes.
Food sensitivities
Recent studies suggest that sensitivities to certain foods may worsen symptoms of ADD in children.
When kids with ADD are placed on a special elimination diet — excluding foods that trigger unwanted behavior — as many as 30 percent of toddlers and preschoolers benefit, says Eugene Arnold, M.D., author of A Family's Guide to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and professor emeritus of psychiatry at Ohio State University. He says that such a diet does not seem to have any effect on adults with ADD.
On an elimination diet, you start by eating only foods unlikely to cause reactions: lamb, chicken, potatoes, rice, bananas, apples, cucumbers, celery, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, salt, pepper, and vitamin supplements. Then you restore other foods, one at a time, to see whether they cause a reaction.
If nothing happens in two weeks — if you see no difference in your child's behavior — stop the experiment. If you notice an improvement, reintroduce one excluded food each day and watch what happens. If the child has a bad response to the food — if he becomes more fidgety or has trouble sleeping, for example — eliminate it again. If it's a food your child is particularly fond of, try reintroducing it again a year or so later. If they're not repeatedly exposed to the trigger food, children often outgrow sensitivities.
If you'd like to try the diet with your children at home, Dr. Arnold recommends consulting a registered dietician (go to eatright.org).
The sugar debate
When it comes to the role of sugar in children's behavior, there seem to be nearly as many opinions as brands of sugar-coated cereal.
Most parents of children with ADD — 84 percent of 302 parents in one 2003 study — believe that sugar has a negative effect on their kids' behavior. And many adults with ADD are convinced that sugar worsens their symptoms as well.
"I switched from a diet that was high in sugar to one that's much lower," says Darcy LaClair, a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame. "I'm more focused when I'm careful about what I eat. This is especially important to me, since I've had a problem finding a suitable medication."
But medical experts still tend to discount any link between behavior and sugar or artificial sweeteners. As evidence, they point to a pair of studies that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. "Effects of Diets High in Sucrose or Aspartame on the Behavior and Cognitive Performance of Children" (February 3, 1994) found that "even when intake exceeds typical dietary levels, neither dietary sucrose nor aspartame affects children's behavior or cognitive function." A similar study, "The Effect of Sugar on Behavior or Cognition in Children" (November 22, 1995), reached much the same conclusion — though the possibility that sugar may have a mild effect on certain children "cannot be ruled out," according to the study's authors.
In any case, sugar carries loads of calories and has no real nutritional value. People who eat lots of sweets may be missing out on essential nutrients that might keep them calm and focused. Since ADD medications tend to blunt the appetite, it's important to make every calorie count.
This article comes from the August/September 2005 issue of ADDitude.
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