Researchers zero in on a diet designed to support individuals with ADHD

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 by: Raw Michelle
Tags: ADHD, diet, research

(NaturalNews) Recent research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that some people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from dietary changes that extend past the preliminary recommendations of removing toxic elements.

If everyone else can eat their way out..

There is a growing understanding of how different dietary choices can impact the overall health of an individual, as well as its ability to mediate the symptoms of many chronic conditions. Behind each diagnosis is a wide range of ways that a condition will manifest, which is largely determined by the bodily environment. Someone with poor health is more likely to have a more negative prognosis that someone in better health.

While as a general rule, many illnesses can be helped by better lifestyle choices, there is some evidence from preliminary studies that indicate that individuals who follow a whole foods diet can contribute to their wellness by both increasing the nutrient concentration and simultaneously limiting their exposure to harmful chemicals that can exacerbate and cause problems.

Defensive eating

Some people believe that childhood hyperactivity is the natural result of a high-sugar diet, but other chemicals in processed foods can contribute to the symptoms of ADHD that outlive the sugar high and leave lasting effects, like liver damage and an increased risk of conditions like diabetes. A landmark 2007 double-blind study showed a significantly higher incidence of ADHD symptoms in children who consumed artificial dyes or sodium benzoate, prompting the UK Food Standards Agency to require manufacturers to label products that contained these chemicals, as well as encourage companies to phase out their use entirely. High sugar diets interfere with the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. These chemicals are detrimental to anyone's health, not just individuals with ADHD, and contact with them increases the morbidity of a long list of diseases.

Hunting down a trail

The most recent study is looking into more specific recommendations for individuals with ADHD to affect positive changes through targeted a diet. Preliminary studies show promise from dietary fatty acids such as those from fish or flex seeds. They do, however, stress that more studies are needed and that the testing has only gleaned the surface of which foods later research should focus on. They also recommend using elimination diets for identifying possible offenders that, while unrelated to the causes of ADHD, may independently create problems that may worsen the symptoms, or cause comorbid conditions. Each individual will respond differently to different foods. Elimination diets can put strain on the body if done improperly, and it is advised that they should be overseen by a physician, to ensure that nutritional needs are still being met. Foods that cause inflammation, like animal products, are more likely to be offenders.

Sources for this article include:

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-dietary-children-adhd.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17825405

http://www.foodnavigator.com

http://www.npr.org

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle