Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
By Marcia Zimmerman, C.N.
The Use of Stimulant Drugs and Their Effect on Children
The stimulant drugs commonly used to treat ADHD have adverse effects, must be taken long term and send the wrong psychological message to children. When they have a bad day, it is assumed they have missed their medication. Children are taught early on that something is wrong with their brain and they must be medicated to function. Sooner or later, children reject this dire sentence, and begin refusing to take their medication or sell it to friends who don’t need it. Stimulants are the fastest growing category of abused substances in schools. Dietary modification can be difficult to implement, given the availability of adverse foods. However, it is well worth the effort because we are teaching our children how to maintain brain health throughout life.
The Role of Diet in ADHD
A significant body of evidence (23 controlled studies) has shown that food additives and other dietary constituents have an effect on the behavior of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Of the controlled studies, seventeen found behavior is significantly worsened in some children when they ingest artificial colors, or certain foods such as dairy products and wheat. The primary diagnostic tool that has been used to measure changes in brain activity after sensitive individuals are exposed to certain foods is electroencephalography (EEG). Although this diagnostic technique has not been widely utilized either in diagnosis or to assess treatment strategies, pioneering work in this area was done by Joel Lubar, Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. EEG biofeedback is a useful technique for teaching children and adults how to modify their brain activity to maintain attention and reduce off-task behavior. The data gathered from this tool and the clinical evidence that certain foods trigger adverse symptoms in ADHD children has been the foundation in designing the ADD Nutrition Solution 30-Day Plan.
Despite the evidence from numerous studies, many health organizations and medical experts deny that diet can provoke adverse behaviors and that dietary modification can have a significant effect in alleviating symptoms. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration dismiss diet as a viable treatment approach and have even published misleading information regarding the effect of diet on behavior. This is truly amazing when one considers that half of everything a young child eats goes to feed his or her brain and that diet is linked to most major chronic conditions. Yet, somehow diet is not related to our most chronic and widely diagnosed childhood disorder. This attitude does not serve children or their families well.