Diet Affects ADHD

There are many things that can contribute to the symptoms of ADHD such as a healthy diet. If you are consuming too many sugars or not enough vitamins you can be worsening the symptoms of ADHD.

It is not easy to watch everything you eat, but if you can determine if the foods you are eating are making your ADHD more difficult you can start to change your diet and help your ADHD.

Balance Blood Sugar

Dietary studies consistently reveal that hyperactive children eat more sugar than other children, and reducing sugar has been found to reduce disciplinary actions in children. Other research has confirmed that the problem is not sugar itself but the forms it comes in, the absence of a well balanced diet overall, and abnormal glucose metabolism. Some children have an abnormal glucose tolerance, their bodies are less able to handle sugar intake and maintain balanced blood sugar levels.

When a child regularly snacks on refined carbohydrates, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, juices and little or no fiber to slow the glucose absorption, the levels of glucose in their blood will seesaw continually and trigger fluctuations in their levels of activity, concentration, focus and behavior.

If sugar consumption is high and it is withdrawn suddenly withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and irritability may ensue. Better to make gradual reductions to avoid this, without losing sight of the eventual goal of a no sugar diet.

Omega 3 Fats

Omega-3s have a calming effect on many children with ADHD. And many children with ADHD have visible symptoms of essential fat deficiency such as excessive thirst, dry skin, eczema and asthma.

Researchers have theorized that ADHD children may be deficient in essential fats not just because their dietary intake from foods such as seeds and nuts is inadequate but also because their need is higher, their absorption is poor, or they are unable to convert these fats into EPA and DHA.

So it�s of interest that the conversion of essential fats can be inhibited by most of the foods that cause symptoms in children with ADHD, such as wheat, dairy and foods containing salicylates. This conversion is also hindered by deficiencies of the various vitamins and minerals that help the enzymes driving these conversions � vitamins B3, B6, C, biotin, zinc and magnesium. Zinc deficiency is common in children with ADHD.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants, and nut oils.

Vitamins and Minerals

Although it is unlikely that ADHD is purely a deficiency disease, most children with this diagnosis are deficient in certain key nutrients.

Zinc and magnesium are the most commonly deficient nutrients in people with ADHD. In fact, symptoms of deficiency in these minerals are very similar to the symptoms of ADHD. Low levels of magnesium, for instance, can cause excessive fidgeting, anxious restlessness, insomnia, coordination problems and learning difficulties.

Allergy Foods

Food allergies can be of two types: Type 1 in the classical, severe and immediate allergy most commonly associated with peanuts and shellfish. The second type, which we will call Type 2 symptoms of these allergies can be many and varied and may take many hours to appear. These allergies often go undetected for this reason.

Symptoms strongly linked to allergy include nasal problems and excessive mucus, ear infections, facial swelling and discoloration around the eyes, tonsillitis, digestive problems, bad breath, eczema, asthma, headaches and bedwetting.

A considerable number of hyperactive children may benefit from eliminating foods that contain artificial colors, flavors and preservatives; processed and manufactured foods; and foods identified by either an exclusion diet or blood test. Some parents have also reported success by removing not only all artificial additives but also foods that naturally contain compounds called salicylates.

Foods containing salicylates include:

prunes
raisins
raspberries
almonds
apricots
canned cherries
blackcurrants
oranges
strawberries
grapes
tomato sauce
plums
cucumbers
and Granny Smith apples.

As the list of foods containing salicylates is very long and contains many otherwise nutritious foods, cutting them all out should be considered only as a secondary course of action, and must be carefully planned and monitored by a nutritional therapist.

Salicylates inhibit the conversion and utilization of essential fats, which we know are often low in hyperactive children. So instead of avoiding salicylates, it may help to simply increase the supply of essential fats.

Natural Supplement for ADHD - Listol

Listol is an alternative all natural supplement designed to work with the body to help with ADD/ADHD. Listol replenishes nutrients that are lacking and causing the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Unlike prescribed medications for the treatment of ADD/ADHD Listol does not have the unwanted side effects.

A few ingredients in Listol are:

Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine is essential for proper function of the nervous system.
Iron - Research indicates that iron deficiency is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children.
Magnesium - In a study of 116 children with ADHD magnesium deficiency was observed in 95% of the subjects. Analysis of the data showed a correlation between levels of magnesium and the quotient of development to freedom from distractibility.
Zinc - A study conducted to explore the relationship of zinc nutrition to the severity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a middle-class American sample with well-diagnosed ADHD showed that serum zinc levels correlated at with parent-teacher-rated inattention.
Copper - When supplementing with zinc it is always important to take additional copper to prevent deficiency of this trace mineral, as zinc and copper compete for absorption. Furthermore, copper levels are observed to be lower in children with hyperactivity.
Glycine - Glycine is a basic amino acid which is vital for proper nervous system function.
GABA Powder - GABA pathways in the brain appear to play a role in certain cognitive disorders like ADHD.
DMAE Bitartatrate - DMAE is a precursor for phosphatidylcholine, an important phospholipid in the brain. Supplementation with DMAE has demonstrated improvements in hyperkinesis, an older term for ADHD.

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