A recent report in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, suggests that ADHD and diet may be much more important than was once thought. It also suggests that we can make life easier if we follow a few guiding principles.

The ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands was where this research was done. According to Dr. Lidy Pelsser who led the study, about 65% of children diagnosed with ADHD have a food intolerance. She maintains that that is the main cause of their ADHD! This is quite controversial but certainly worth looking at and also borne out by other studies. So, we should not dismiss this as another flash in the pan.

When the children in the study were restricted in certain food they were eating, their behavior and ADHD symptoms started to disappear over a period of five weeks. Every child is different and some were casein intolerant while others were suffering from gluten intolerance. Some were suffering from both.

Many children of course might not respond to the dietary treatment but Dr. Pelsser maintains that this should be the first option, rather than just prescribing risky medication. The preference for these powerful mind altering drugs is alarming many medical authorities but doctors keep on prescribing them!

Researchers now maintain that the child’s environment is much more important and we should be looking at ways to make this more ADHD friendly so that many of the symptoms do not become stumbling blocks. There are many ways we can do this. For example :-

• we can start an elimination diet and find out which foods are causing problems

• we can organize our homes better so that they are easier to navigate. Having things in order and following a set routine are really useful for a child with ADHD

• we can ensure that special arrangements are in place at school and that homework is supervised. If we cannot do this ourselves, we can get a college helper. Things like breaking down tasks and organizing suitable breaks and rewards are a great help too.

• we can make sure that behavior therapy principles are followed so that behavior is monitored and the consequences of impulsive and aggressive behavior are dealt with and not just ignored.

Other areas of research into ADHD and diet show that a diet with plenty of Omega 3 and which contains the right amounts of the minerals of zinc, magnesium and calcium can all help with ADHD symptoms. Some school lunches have been changed and teachers in these schools have noted a marked improvement in the behavior of the children in the afternoon.

As we can see, ADHD and diet is now much more important than we once thought and we should find out about other ways to make our lives easier. Why not check this out on my website?