ADHD and Kids' Diets

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ADHD and kids' diets

Fact Files:

by Cassie W hite Parents often believe certain foods affect their kid's behaviour, particularly for children with ADHD. But is this link fact or fiction?

Published 24/03/2011

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Children

For as long as families have been sitting around the dinner table, parents have been linking their kids' behaviour to the food they eat.

Now there's new evidence that suggests there may be some foundation to these beliefs, after a recent study found links betw een diet and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Researchers in the Netherlands tested w hether a strict elimination diet – similar to that used to treat some people w ith allergic conditions – had an effect on the behaviour of children w ith ADHD. So they put a group of children diagnosed w ith ADHD children on a strict diet of mainly w hite meat, rice and vegetables for five w eeks and compared them to a group of children w ho remained on their normal diet.

They found 32 of the 50 children in the study reported an improvement in their behaviour and a decrease in their ADHD symptoms w hen on the diet. How ever, once foods w ere reintroduced the children's ADHD symptoms returned.

Elsewhere on ABC Racing minds All In The Mind Concerns ADHD definition fuelling medication increase Science Online Psychiatry re-examined All In The Mind

Related Topics Kids' health Diet & Recipes

One risk factor Associate Professor Alasdair Vance, head of Academic Child Psychiatry at Melbourne University and Development of Neuropsychology Program at the Royal Children's Hospital, says the findings fit in w ell w ith previous research w hich links food to ADHD. "We now know that in a sub group of children [certain foods] can have quite an effect, albeit short term," he says.

"In other w ords, as those products are broken dow n and excreted by the body, their influence w anes. It's very much one risk factor amongst many."

But he says it's important for parents to know that every child is different, w hich means food isn't alw ays the main cause of ADHD symptoms.

"ADHD has many threads that can be w oven together to form the condition," he says.

"Diet is an important factor in a minority of children and needs to be considered along w ith other risk factors. We have to take every child and look at their biology and their environment as equally important."

But before you put your child on a strict diet to find out if certain foods have an effect on their behaviour, Vance suggests you speak to your doctor. He says parents should only implement an elimination diet under strict medical supervision because in some cases the diet could actually make family life more difficult, as some kids w ill start to rebel.

"You might see an emergence of w orsening rule-breaking behaviour that could lead to punishing parents purely due to the diet itself," he says.

Colours and preservatives Previous research has linked certain food colourings and preservatives to ADHD symptoms. These ingredients are often found in processed foods like lollies, soft drinks, biscuits and cakes.

(The artificial colours, w hich are often called Azo dyes, believed to cause bad reactions in children w ith ADHD have the numbers: 102, 107, 110, 122-129, 132, 133, 142, 151, 155 and the natural colour 160B. Problem preservatives include 200-203; benzoates 210-218; sulphites 220-228; propionates 280-283 and added antioxidants 310-312 and 319-321. Other triggers can be flavour enhancers such as MSG and numbers 620-635.)

Research has found that w hen eaten by kids w ho are sensitive to them, these colours and preservatives not only set off ADHD behaviour, but can also cause a range of reactions including hives and sw elling, stomach and bow el irritation, and headaches.

But these artificial colours and preservatives aren't the only problem foods says Anne Sw ain, head dietitian at Melbourne's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She says some w hole foods can also be a problem.

"The typical foods that can be a trigger for sensitive people are highly-flavoured foods such as lots of

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tomatoes, citrus, berries and cherries, fruit juice and honey," Sw ain says.

Some of these foods – tomatoes and oranges, for example – w ere excluded from the diet of children taking part in the Dutch ADHD and diet study.

No special diet Even though there are clear links betw een children's diet and their behaviour, Sw ain doesn't believe children w ith ADHD should follow a special diet.

Instead she recommends all children stick to a healthy diet and avoid too many artificial colours and preservatives. She says many kids are affected by foods w hich contain colours and preservatives, not just children diagnosed w ith ADHD. "All you w ant them to do is eat a typically healthy diet from the five food groups, spreading it out during the day," she says.

"It's keeping to the basic foods … W ith processed foods you've got a concentration of flavour and it's often w hen they need to add preservatives, colours and flavour enhancers … they often get into problems," she says.

But she says that doesn't mean all children w ho have ADHD need to steer clear of every single colour and preservative.

"Parents need to check labels and if they know foods trigger their child's ADHD, then they should avoid the colours and preservatives they identify as causing a problem," Sw ain says.

And because even healthy foods can cause a bad reaction, parents should try and include a variety of as many natural w hole foods as possible in the children's diet.

Sw ain says parents just need to be sensible w hen considering their child's diet, but if they think something is w rong then they should also consult a healthcare professional for help.

"If you think that your child's behaviour is made w orse by food, go and see your medical practitioner and then get a referral to a dietitian to help you w ork through testing out the theory."

More info ADHD - Fact file, ABC Health & Wellbeing, 24/04/2003 Bew are: brightly coloured foods - The Pulse, ABC Health & Wellbeing, 13/09/2007 Does red cordial make kids hyperactive? - Fact Buster, ABC Health & Wellbeing, 27/05/2007

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Diana :

24 Mar 2011 3:15:09pm

Thank goodness this is getting more coverage. I recommend Sue Dengate's w ebsite for any parents seeking more info on this topic.

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sarah :

04 Apr 2011 10:44:49am

i never w anted my son on medication n fought it 4 a yr. than i w as told he w as not allow ed 2 come 2 school unless he had his tablet. so now he has his tabs n its still not good enough that he is only allow ed 2 go 2 school till 11.30am each day so frustrating Alert moderator

geenie :

04 Apr 2011 5:34:35pm

Sarah have you tried a failsafe elimination diet?

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Dan :

01 Dec 2011 8:58:36pm

Have you heard about Reliv? It's a nutritional supplement, no meds, no side effects and AMAZING results in children w ith ADD and ADHD. W ish I'd heard about it w hen I w as a kid w ith ADD!!

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Louise :

08 Mar 2012 12:42:50pm

Hi there, that is terrible for you, I am having the same trouble too..

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Janet :

19 Jun 2013 10:30:09pm

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