ADHD and Children

ADHD and Children...learn what it is, symptoms, causes and treatments for this condition.

We don't give medical or treament advice so in providing information on this condition, we turned to outside sources to provide guidance on this topic.

First we turned to John E. Huxsahl, M.D. in an article from the Mayo Clinic's official website.

Dr. Huxsahl stated "There's no evidence that food additives cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but an increasing number of studies show that certain food colorings and preservatives may cause or worsen hyperactive behavior in some children."

This has been suspected by many, especially with the trend of the food manufacturers to include many preservatives and food dyes in their products.

Dr. Huxsahl further said, "Because several studies looked at a combination of food additives and their possible effects on hyperactivity and ADHD, it isn't clear which additives may affect behavior.

More research is needed regarding whether limiting certain foods helps prevent hyperactivity and ADHD symptoms. If you notice that a certain food causes a change in your child's behavior, you may want to try eliminating it from your child's diet to see if it makes a difference.

However, consult with your child's doctor before putting your child on a limited diet. A diet that eliminates too many foods can be unhealthy because it may lack necessary vitamins and nutrients."

The approach we prefer for children's overall health and nutrition is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseed and other foods.that limits sugary and processed foods. The foods to avoid are those with excessive sugar and processed foods.

He further addressed which food additives that may increase hyperactive behavior. These included:

* Sodium benzoate
* FD&C Yellow No. 6 (sunset yellow)
* D&C Yellow No. 10 (quinoline yellow)
* FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine)
* FD&C Red No.40 (allura red)

FD&C Yellow No. 5, used in beverages, candy, ice cream, custards and other foods, may be more likely to cause reactions than other additives.

The Food and Drug Administration requires that FD&C Yellow No. 5 be clearly labeled on food packaging along with other ingredients. But many colorings and food additives don't require similar labeling, so it can be difficult to tell whether a food contains artificial coloring or other additives.

One rule of thumb is that brightly colored processed foods are most likely to contain one or more coloring additives.

To address this topic, we also found this informative video discussing studies performed linking ADHD and children with food additives.

Do food additives make kids hyper?

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