Alternative ADHD Treatment: Can Diet Ease Symptoms?

Do alternative ADHD treatments really work? Adults and parents of ADHD children are finding that while they may not be a cure-all, non-medical treatments like diet changescan make a big difference in symptoms.

Poor diet and eating habits do not cause ADHD. And when it comes to controlling impulsivity, inattention, and other symptoms, there is no substitute for medication and behavioral therapy, which are clearly the most effective approaches.

But recent research suggests a possible relationship between ADHD and the foods one consumes. Read on to find out how to make your diet — or your family's — ADHD-friendly. Protein and ADHD: The brain makes a variety of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, to regulate wakefulness and sleep. Studies by Massachusetts Institute of Technology neuroscientist Richard Wurtman Ph.D., and others have shown that protein triggers alertness-inducing neurotransmitters, while carbohydrates trigger drowsiness.These findings support the popular belief that people with ADHD do better on a protein-rich breakfast and lunch. Yet child psychologist Vincent J. Monastra, Ph.D., head of an ADHD clinic in Endicott, New York, says that, of the 500 children a year he evaluates for ADHD, less than 5 percent are eating the government-recommended amounts of protein at breakfast and lunch. In addition to boosting alertness, says Monastra, a protein-rich breakfast seems to reduce the likelihood that ADHD medication will cause irritability or restlessness. If your family's idea of breakfast is toast, sugary cereals, or doughnuts, don't panic. You don't have to gobble a plate of huevos rancheros or eggs and bacon to get enough protein. "We're not talking about a ton of food," says Monastra, author of Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach.Depending on their age, children need between 24 to 30 grams of protein a day. Adults need 45 to 70 grams. You can get seven grams in a cup of milk or soy milk, one egg, or an ounce of cheese or meat. The Feingold Diet: In the 1970s, Benjamin Feingold M.D., a pediatrician and allergist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, introduced an eating plan that he said could help alleviate symptoms of ADHD. TheFeingold Diet forbids artificial food colors, flavorings, sweeteners, and preservatives, as well as salicylates, naturally occurring compounds found in some fruits and vegetables.Studies failed to uphold Feingold's claims when he first made them, and most ADHD experts still dismiss the Feingold diet as ineffective. Yet some recent research suggests that the Feingold diet may be beneficial to the 5 percent or so of children with ADHD who seem to be sensitive to chemicals in food.One study, published in the December 2004 issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, analyzed 15 previously published studies and concluded that artificial food colors can lead to hyperactivity, irritability, and insomnia in some kids with ADHD.Many parents use the Feingold diet with their kids who have ADHD, saying there are obvious benefits. Marilee Jones of Oakdale, Connecticut, put her son, now 17, on the Feingold diet when he was a toddler. Prior to the diet, he was hyperactive and had dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping. "We put him on the diet, and everything changed. He became a normal 18-month-old," says Jones, who now works for the Feingold Association.Even now, says Jones, her son notices that if he strays too far from the diet and, say, indulges in a soft drink with artificial food coloring, his personality changes. Food Sensitivities and Elimination Diets: Recent studies suggest that sensitivities to certain foods may worsen symptoms of ADHD in children.When kids with ADHD are placed on a special elimination diet — excluding foods that trigger unwanted behavior — as many as 30 percent of toddlers and preschoolers benefit, says Eugene Arnold, M.D., author of A Family's Guide to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and professor emeritus of psychiatry at Ohio State University. He says that such a diet does not seem to have any effect on adults with ADHD.On an elimination diet, you start by eating only foods unlikely to cause reactions: Lamb Chicken

Potatoes

Rice

Bananas

Apples

Cucumbers

Celery

Carrots

Parsnips

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Salt

Pepper

Vitamin supplements

Then you restore other foods, one at a time, to see whether they cause a reaction.If nothing happens in two weeks — if you see no difference in your child's behavior — stop the experiment. If you notice an improvement, reintroduce one excluded food each day and watch what happens. If the child has a bad response to the food — if he becomes more fidgety or has trouble sleeping, for example — eliminate it again. If it's a food your child really likes, try reintroducing it again a year or so later. If they're not repeatedly exposed to the trigger food, children often outgrow sensitivities.If you'd like to try the diet with your children at home, Dr. Arnold recommends consulting a registered dietitian go to www.eatright.org. The Sugar Debate: Most parents of children with ADHD — 84 percent of 302 parents in one 2003 study — believe that sugar has a negative effect on their kids' behavior. And many adults with ADHD are convinced that sugar worsens their symptoms as well.But medical experts still tend to discount any link between behavior and sugar or artificial sweeteners. As evidence, they point to a pair of studies that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. "Effects of Diets High in Sucrose or Aspartame on the Behavior and Cognitive Performance of Children" (February 3, 1994) found that "even when intake exceeds typical dietary levels, neither dietary sucrose nor aspartame affects children's behavior or cognitive function." A similar study, "The Effect of Sugar on Behavior or Cognition in Children" (November 22, 1995), reached much the same conclusion — though the possibility that sugar may have a mild effect on certain children "cannot be ruled out," according to the study's authors.In any case, sugar carries loads of calories and has no real nutritional value. People who eat lots of sweets may be missing out on essential nutrients that might keep them calm and focused. Since ADHD medications tend to blunt the appetite, it's important to make every calorie count. Learn more about natural remedies for ADHD.