| A Specialized ADHD Nutrition Plan Could
Help Patients Focus Currently
one of the most widely accepted
theories about attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder is that
it is caused by nutritional problems.
This theory really only applies
to childhood ADHD and does not
even account for all of the childhood
ADHD cases, but when some dietary
studies were conducted on ADHD
nutrition plans for those with
the disorder, there were some
beneficial results. The whole
nutrition and ADHD correlation
emerged in nineteen ninety when
an English researcher found out
that certain artificial food colorings
found in some foods could actually
deplete the amounts of zinc in
an ADHD patient’s body. Later,
scientists also found that those
children suffering from ADHD also
had lower levels of required sulfate
molecules throughout the body.
Studies which attempt to prove
that ADHD and diet are not related
at all, citing that only five
percent of all ADHD patients have
something wrong with their normal
dietary intake. Whatever the case,
putting your child on an ADHD
nutrition plan may be one possible
way to help alleviate the hyperactivity
associated with such a disorder.
There are several key aspects
to an ADHD nutrition plan that
any parent should keep in mind.
The first and possibly most obvious
of any diet is to make sure that
your hyperactive child does not
receive any sugary sweets or any
candy. This should also include
sodas and any other products which
are high in sugar. By cutting
sugars out of the ADHD nutrition
plan, your child will not exhibit
the hyperactive energy associated
with ADHD. Also, make sure your
child avoids caffeine, as caffeine
has the same stimulating effect
on the body as sugar. If you find
that neither of these two ADHD
nutrition changes affects your
child, try taking any and all
wheat products out of their diet.
Some kids have an undiagnosed
wheat allergy which can contribute
to hyperactivity. Instead of the
wheat products, switch to oats
and rye. Finally, and this goes
for any child (not just those
with ADHD), make sure your child
gets plenty of vegetables and
fruits in their diet along with
fish at least once a week. An
alternative to just cutting out
sugars and caffeine from an attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder
patient’s diet was created by
Dr. Benjamin Feingold. Aptly named
the Feingold diet, this ADHD nutrition
plan focused on the research which
linked artificial colors and flavors
to the loss of zinc in certain
children’s bodies. This diet has
been the source of much debate
over its effectiveness, but for
those looking for a dietary way
to combat the problems associated
with ADHD, the Feingold diet may
be a good method to check out.
The Feingold ADHD nutrition plan
is currently a two step program
with the first step requiring
the elimination of all artificial
colors and flavors from the child’s
food. The second step of the Feingold
program requires that all aspirin
containing products and natural
salicylate containing foods should
also be removed from the child’s
diet. While this method of ADHD
nutrition may prove to be useful,
there are actually certain claims
which Feingold makes that are
totally incorrect. Most importantly,
certain nutritional experts have
shown that in the Feingold diet
cookbook many of the recommended
foods are actually high in salicylates;
a chemical which Feingold says
can cause your child to be hyperactive.
There is much to be learned about
ADHD nutrition and its effects
on your child, for more on information
on parenting and ADHD Nutrition
please visit this author's website
==>Parental Advise Dennis Driscoll
lives in Northern Michigan, and
is the creator and a contributing
author of several websites. Nursing
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