The diet for ADHD children that many people have found to be helpful in controlling the troublesome symptoms of ADHD is often a variation of the diet plan originally developed by Dr. Benjamin Feingold.
The Feingold diet for ADHD, or one of it’s variations, is often used by natural health care providers who may use diet adjustments along with other natural strategies like herbs and homeopathic remedies
Dr. Benjamin Feingold, an allergist and consulting pediatrician is the person credited with suggesting that diet changes can affect ADHD symptoms. In the early 1970′s he discovered that food additives like artificial coloring, flavors, preservatives and other added substances often produced allergy-like sensitivities in both children and adults with ADHD.
The recommedation that Dr. Feingold made was that ADHD patients should follow a specific diet and lifestyle that attempts to eliminate as many of these artificial additives as possible, in order to improve their condition.
Over the years, people using Feingold’s diet for adhd children have experienced that it also helps in alleviating conditions like asthma, bedwetting, ear and eye infection, sleep disorders and seizures.
Although many parents with ADHD children, and adults with the disorder, have reported improvement in their symptoms using the Feingold diet for ADHD, or one of it’s many variations, naturally there are people who have raised doubts over the benefits of this diet.
Their criticisms are based on results of clinical experiments which they claim have failed to support the ideas behind controlling ADHD with diet .
Although clinical experiments supposedly don’t support the ideas behind diet changes, still sales of alternative and organic foods have grown exponentially over the last several decades .
Apparently people have experienced enough success in controlling ADHD with diet that they’re willing to spend their money on processed food alternatives. Plus, since diet changes have no negative side effects, what harm could come from it?
Gluten Free Casein Free ADHD Diet
Other important issues in a diet for ADHD children are gluten and dairy (casein) intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and a few other cereal grains closely related to wheat.
When a person with gluten intolerance eats gluten it causes an immune reaction in the small intestine that results in damage to the intestine and an inability to absorb nutrients properly.
Gluten can affect brain function negatively because the small intestine has a very sensitive neural network called the enteric nervous system which is disturbed during an allergic, autoimmune reaction resulting in classic ADHD symptoms like restlessness, poor focus, distractibility and behavior issues.
In cow’s milk and all milk products casein is one of the primary proteins. A deficiency of the enzyme, lactase may sometimes cause an intolerance to dairy products. Supplementation with the enzyme can sometimes solve the problem. In other cases, the only lasting solution is to restrict milk products from the diet.
Dietary changes can sometimes be intimidating. Many ADHD kids are notoriously picky eaters. They may have resistance to eating more than just a few favorite foods, although this resistance can decrease as they overcome allergic addictions, yeast overgrowth and hypoglycemia.
According to research, a high protein diet can often help curb ADHD symptoms. This is especially the case with breakfast. Parents of ADHD kids can help their children do better at school by providing a breakfast with a good balance of complex carbohydrates and protein. Adding adequate protein and healthy fat can help balance blood sugar levels.
When implementing a diet for ADHD children, asking your child to give up gluten and cow’s dairy (casein) may be one of the most beneficial, and most difficult things you can do to positively affect ADHD symptoms. Although it may be difficult, natural health providers report a high rate of symptom improvement from restricting gluten and casein.
Also, there are additional safe and natural alternatives like herbal and homeopathic remedies that many natural health care providers are recommending to use along with diet adjustments.
