ADHD, Diet & Allergies

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ADHD & Hyperactivity in children is a fairly recent condition that was not diagnosed until recent decades.

The reason may have been that no one knew it existed and therefore didn’t look for it:- but that would only account for a few overlooked cases. ADHD, Diet & Allergies

The fact is that it is measurably on the increase, and the reason is not hard to find: this unpleasant affliction is a direct offshoot of our deteriorating diets riddled with junk, sugar and chemicals.

There are many degrees of the condition, of course.

Not all cases are severe and debilitating; sometimes the child seems no more than unusually naughty, restless, irritable and unable to sleep a full quota of hours. Parents often fight the diagnosis as if it were something to be ashamed of. Perhaps psychiatrists, who unfortunately usually end up treating the condition, are to blame for not recognising that it is an ecological disease not a character deformity.

Hyperactivity Medication

Some doctors, especially psychiatrists, who hate to admit any of their precious diseases have a merely physical basis, will deny any connection with diet. TADHD Ritalin Hyperactivity medicinehey would rather treat a child with tranquillisers and soporific drugs than take the trouble to work out why he or she is over-emotional, racing around frantically, hardly sleeping, pale and sickly, with dark rings under the eyes and self-willed to the point where sometimes it seems he or she is not even under his or her own control, never mind that of the fraught, exhausted parents.

 

Nevertheless, the dietary basis of hyperactivity causes has been well established by the work of many competent doctors.
pie chart ADHD, Diet & Allergies

Recent recent study published  in the Lancet which was headed by Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre of the Netherlands found “Food is the main cause of ADHD.”

The study found that in 64% of participating children, ADHD symptoms could be contributed to a hypersensitivity to food. “

A separate study published in the journal of Pediatrics researched the effectiveness of a number of dietary methods used in place of traditional ADHD treatments.

 Study results suggest that a whole foods diet rich in fiber, folate, and omega 3 fatty acids is most effective in decreasing hyperactivity.

We have seen enough cases recover fully on a simple elimination program to no longer feel the need to question this point. Only those practitioners who don’t take the trouble to look will miss the connection.adhd pills ADHD, Diet & Allergies
One of the interesting and well-known pioneer diets in this field is that of the American pediatrician Dr Ben Feingold. He thought he noticed an association between hyperactivity and aspirin-sensitivity in children.

If he were right, and aspirin or aspirin-like substances (called salicylates) made children hyperactive, then avoidance of these and similar chemicals as food additives should benefit the condition. So he tried putting these children on diets which avoided foods (mostly fruits) which contain natural salicylate substances (these include peaches,plums, raspberries, grapes, oranges, apricots, cucumber and tomato), and was gratified to observe that this produced a measurable improvement.

It should also be considered that diets avoiding colouring and so on must of necessity be different in other ways as well: it is a mere assumption to attribute the change to avoidance of chemicals alone.

Could it not be due to the absence of other factors in junk food which were being omitted at the same time? Experience suggests it is. Secondly, his work did not go far enough.

Chemicals are a problem to allergic patients, especially to children; but other foods cause much more trouble more often — milk, for instance. Corn is also a serious allergen, and yet it is a widespread ingredient of manufactured food: it is, for example, used as a sweetener in lemonade and, colas. It would be true to say that where chemicals appear in food, so does corn in most cases.

What does ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) have to do with diet?

According to recent studies, the two may be more connected than we previously thought. In fact, there are more and more studies emerging that reveal the connection between the food we eat and symptoms of ADHD.

adhd-children ADHD, Diet & Allergies
A recent study published by the Lancet headed by Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre of the Netherlands, Dr. Pelsser boldly stated to NPR, “Food is the main cause of ADHD.

The study found that in 64% of participating children, ADHD symptoms could be contributed to a hypersensitivity to food.

Another article published in the journal Pediatrics examined the effectiveness of several dietary methods used in place of traditional ADHD treatments that had proved “unsatisfactory or unacceptable”.

Study results suggest that a whole foods diet rich in fiber, folate, and omega 3 fatty acids is most effective in decreasing hyperactivity.
Omega 3s are crucial for proper cognitive development, fighting inflammation, protecting the heart, insulating the body from the cold, and maintaining a healthy metabolism and weight.

Fiber is crucial for maintaining proper digestive health, and folate has been long touted for its effectiveness in enhancing cognitive development and performance.

Find below foods high in these important nutrients, and consider adding them to your family’s diet!

Foods High In Omega 3 Fatty Acids

  • Chia, sesame, and flax seeds
  • Fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon
  • Organic, grass-fed beef
  • Certain oils like olive coconut, sasame and flaxseed
  • Avocado
  • Vegetables like broccoli and spinach
  • Walnuts
  • Foods High In Fiber
  • Vegetables ,
  • Beans
  • Whole grains
  • Fruit

Foods High In Folate

  • Sprouts
  • Beans
  • Dried herbs
  • Sunflower seeds
  • spinach and broccoli, collards and kale & Dark green leafy vegetables.
  • Yeast extract
  • Asparagus
  • Soybeans
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