ADHD - Does Nutrition Play a Factor?

Relatively unknown just two decades ago (although discussion of the disorder has occurred in medical circles for over half a century) Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder awareness is critical in the lives of those who make a career out of working with children. Teachers, child psychologists, counsellors, and others are all given at least some exposure to the symptoms and solutions of the disorder.

The people most affected by ADHD, of course, are the children with the disorder and their parents. An ADHD diagnosis is the first step towards the general improvement of many areas in the lives of someone with this condition, and many people wonder just what role diet plays as far as ADHD.

Before we get into some specific areas, it is important to note that scientific research has never positively linked any diet to the direct causes or symptoms of ADHD. Most of the work in this area remains theoretical.

Diet of the pregnant mother

The first area where nutrition may come into play as far as the development of ADHD is when the fetus is in the womb. The probable links to ADHD development here include the usual suspects such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other types of drugs.

Diet after weaning

The symptoms of ADHD tend to show up during the preschool years, and they can be aggravated by certain type of diets. Many children are ingesting too much sugar and caffeine in their diets today in the form of “easy” and junk food, and of course these ingredients will cause a reaction of hyperactivity in children without the disorder. The reaction is far greater in children with ADHD.

The Feingold Program is a diet which has not been positively proven to alleviate ADHD symptoms by science, but has been upheld both by doctors and parents who work with ADHD afflicted children. This diet essentially takes out any unnatural food products in a nutrition regime, including artificial coloring and sweeteners, flavours, and preservatives.

ADHD is largely a disorder whose origins are not fully known. The nutrition of the ADHD positive child is important, but has not yet proven to be linked to the actual development of the condition. Still, watching the nutrition a child with ADHD takes in may mean that the symptoms of the disorder are not as acute.