Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can respond to a diet change

The following information is mostly paraphrased from Dr. David William's popular Alternatives Newsletter September 1999 issue.  Dr. David Williams is a medical researcher who studies scientific research and travels around the globe researching natural cures and nutrition for different illnesses.  He is not taken in by any kind of hype and thoroughly researches the matter before reporting the working solutions in his newsletter.

Food additives and insensitivities

The finger points back to the unnatural chemicals used abundantly all around us and in our food supply, and to the deficient diets that most Americans eat.  People in the past were better off with their whole grains and less variety than us today with tons of variety of processed food robbed of its nutrition.

Often, children with ADD are treated with Ritalin. It is a stimulant, and it increases the amount of dopamine in the brain, which enables kids with ADHD to focus and filter out distractions. In fact, Ritalin has some same properties as cocaine. For example, it is known that some teenagers abuse Ritalin and take it as a "street drug" to reach a "high". (Ritalin & Cocaine: The Connection and the Controversy)

Ritalin does control the problem with attention, but unfortunately it does not cure ADD or ADHD. So, many parents consider other therapies also. Studies in Australia and the U.S. have shown that almost three-quarters of ADHD-diagnosed children show remarkable improvement when placed on diets which elimiate dyes, preservatives and foods commonly associated with allergic reactions (cow's milk, wheat, soy, eggs, corn, chocolate, yeast, orange and apple juice).

In the 1970's, Dr. Benjamin Feingold found that many of the hyperactive children were allergic to artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives, and the salicylic compounds found in aspirin and many berry fruits. An association bearing his name continues even today to educate parents about the Feingold program, which eliminates these artificial additives from a child's lifestyle, and can help children with various kinds of ailments. The association says over 90% of children get help from their program.

Sugar may be to blame, too

Another factor causing hyperactivity in some children is a difficulty with glucose metabolism, or in other words blood sugar problems.  Normally, when you ingest sugar, the pancreas releases insulin, which stops blood sugar from rising too high.  At the same time, adrenal glands release certain hormones to keep the insulin from driving blood sugar levels too low.  According to research, ADHD children release only about half the amount of these hormones as normal children.  It was found that this uncontrolled drop in blood sugar significantly decreased brain activity in these children.

It was also found that the ADHD children unconsciously become physically hyperactive in an effort to force their adrenal glands to release more of these hormones (catecholamines). These children are unconsciously placing their bodies under stress trying to 'squeeze' more hormones from their already weakened adrenal glands.

As a solution, Dr. David Williams recommends avoiding sugar and high carbohydrate foods, as well as strenghtening the adrenal glands with a product called Drenamin.  In some children, a thyroid imbalance may be contributing to ADD and/or ADHD.  If avoiding sugar and high carbohydrate foods and taking Drenamin does not cure the problem, Dr. Williams recommends taking thyroid glandular supplement Thytrophin and the liquid iodine supplement Iosol.

Magnesium deficiency

Other considerations are different nutritional deficiencies.  The majority of Americans doesn't meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium, including children.  A deficiency of magnesium can present common psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, restlessness, and irritability.  Depressed patients have been found to have lower levels of magnesium.  Several studies show that ADHD children are deficient in many common minerals, most often in magnesium, zinc, and iron, and that magnesium supplementation significantly decreases the hyperactivity symptoms in these children.

Why does the 'standard American diet' cause magnesium deficiency?  Did you know that

• 99% of the magnesium in sugar cane is lost when it is refined to white sugar.
• 80 - 96% of magnesium content in wheat is removed when refined to white flour.
• Consumption of soft drinks (pop or soda) decreases the body's absorption of magnesium.
• The typical high-dairy, high fat North American diet contains almost four times as much calcium as magnesium. This unbalanced ration coupled with the high fat content tends to suppress magnesium absorption.
• Further, high levels of dietary or supplementary calcium tend to suppress magnesium absorption.
• Refined salt is practically void of magnesium.

Essential fatty acids

It has been found that many ADHD children have a deficiency of essential fatty acids (EFAs).  This could be either because they cannot metabolize them properly, or because they cannot absorb EFAs normally from the gut, or because their EFA requirements are higher than normal.

The main omega-3 essential fat is ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), from which the body makes EPA and DHA (other omega-3 fats).  DHA is very important for the brain.  For the conversion from ALA to DHA the body needs adequate supply of vitamins C, B6, B3, and enough zinc and magnesium.  Also, if the diet contains too much omega-6 fats in comparison to ALA (as is usually the case in western diets), then the conversion is slowed down.

The best source of ALA is flax seed and flax oil, but when adding flax to the diet, one needs to make sure that the child is not deficient in the other vitamins and minerals that are needed for the conversion to DHA.  To err on the safe side, one could also eat oily fish like salmon, trout, herring, or sardines, which contain DHA (mackerel is an oily fish too, but often has high mercury levels).

Sources & resources:

ADHD: Treatments. Nutritional therapies
Excellent article that summarizes all current scientific findings on nutritional therapies for ADD and ADHD, including food sensitivies, allergies, magnesium, zinc & essential fatty acid deficiencies, cadmium and lead toxicity, problems with gastrointestinal flora, and more.

Dr. David William's Alternatives Newsletter September 1999 issue.

Magnesium and Aging

Feingold Association − educating families about eliminating artificial dyes, flavors, preservaties, and aspartame from a child's diet. BTW, this diet does allow the child to eat sweets and fast foods in moderation as long as they don't contain the abovementioned ingredients.

Attention Deficit Disorder: Facts, Prevention and Treatment Strategies

ADD and Autistic-like behaviors. Is there an alternatives to drug therapy for your child?

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER & THE ALLERGY CONNECTION

Attention Deficit Disorder & Hyperactivity Success by Dr. Allen Buresz

Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

Nutritionally Yours: Food Allergy Test
Our practitioner runs a "delayed" food allergy test to discover "hidden" food allergies that can be contributing to add/adhd symptoms.

The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Positive response to magnesium oral loading test. Magnes Res. 1997 Jun;10(2):149-56.

[The effect of deficiency of selected bioelements on hyperactivity in children with certain specified mental disorders] Ann Acad Med Stetin. 1998;44:297-314.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children: rationale for its integrative management. Altern Med Rev. 2000 Oct;5(5):402-28.

The following books can be a starting point for helping children with ADD or ADHD through nutrition:

	Twelve Effective Ways to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child: Drug-Free Alternatives for Attention-Deficit Disorders
	Managing the Gift : Alternative Approaches for Attention Deficit Disorder
	Why Can't My Child Behave?: Why Can't She Cope? Why Can't He Learn?
	The A.D.D. Nutrition Solution: A Drug-Free 30 Day Plan by Marcia Zimmermann
	Dr. Bob's Guide to Stop ADHD in 18 Days
	The A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. Diet! A Comprehensive Look at Contributing Factors and Natural Treatments for Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity
	No More Ritalin: Treating Adhd Without Drugs by Mary Ann Block

 

Even if your child is not affected, you can help save some other child's future.  By all means relay this information to any parent you know who has a child with hyperactivity problems.

---

My fifteen year old son Willy Darman went from almost five years of Ritalin use for ADHD, to getting well naturally, making the honor roll, and being one of only four children out of over 200 to receive the "Principal's Award" this year.

...Willy went from being a very sickly child, with spontaneous nose bleeding, "easy bruising", and very soft teeth throughout his childhood, to being very healthy today.

Willy's profound metamorphosis as a human being, both mentally and physically, in the past twenty three months was simply the result of nutritional and other natural supplementation that I gave to him within this period of time (and no supplementation was given to him before this with the exception of a Flintstone vitamin on occasion).

Sincerely,

Allen Darman

You can read a more complete Willy Darman recovery story here

I was contacted along these lines (ADD and diet) by a lady who has succesfully tried Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  This diet may help children (or adults) who have lots of gastrointestinal problems.  It is a very restrictive diet, so shouldn't be followed unless really needed, but in case it helps someone, I will post her letter here.

Regarding your remarks about ADD and diet: I couldn't agree more! Changing our diet helped my children focus better, helped my older daughter control her behavior, and helped ease my younger daughter's nightmares. We used the "Specific Carbohydrate diet" (SCD) with good success. Although I would recommend the book, because it has a chepter explaining how and why diet affects the brain, here are two sites about it:

Breaking the Vicious Cycle
PecanBread.Com

Although neither site mentions ADD (one is for digestive problems and the other is for autism), this diet really helps, and when you read the book you will see why. Thanks for posting this page to help parents keep their kids off ALL drugs!

Anna Root

P.S.--Many parents think that changing their diet will be hard, and at first it is, particularly giving up gluten and dairy, but the diet is SO MUCH easier than dealing with crying, screaming kids, and when you see how happy your children can be, and how much better your family life will be, you'll agree that it's no trouble at all.

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