Diet can effect ADHD sufferers

October 10, 2013

Managing Youngsters with ADHD – Diet can Help!

Nutritionist Diana Herve has some answers to improve  and even alleviate symptoms

I was chatting recently to a mother who was despairing of her son’s hyperactive behaviour – poor concentration, inability to sit still, and difficulties learning. 

These days labels are given to youngsters who display this type of behaviour with terms such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).  Managing youngsters who display associated symptoms can be extremely challenging and distressing for parents.  Diagnosis is frequently made by parents and/or teachers, but not always officially, however they do at least spare the child of accusations of laziness or stupidity over learning and school work!

Research has shown that there is a correlation between the rising numbers of youngsters who display symptoms of these conditions, and the consumption of processed food products containing hidden sugars and salt, saturated and trans or hydrogenated fats, as well as numerous unpronounceable chemicals, aka additives and preservatives, or just ‘E’-numbers. Annoyingly, (and I consider dishonestly), so many foods which are marketed for children, contain bucket loads of these damaging ‘anti-nutrients’.

One of the reasons children who eat a diet of junk food/processed foods, such as pizza, refined sweet cereals, cheap nuggets, sweets, savoury snacks and a myriad of fruit juices sold under the pretext of them being ‘healthy’, is that many of the ingredients in these types of foods, in particular the sugars, are addictive, so children crave them constantly. Inevitably their daily diets are not just void of beneficial nutrients, but the ‘anti-nutrients’ they survive on would certainly make most children display erratic behaviour and mood swings, as well as cause them to have hyperactive tendancies.

So what can you do to help your child, if you know or maybe suspect they may tend towards ADHD type symptoms?

Well, first of all, try to wean them off the sweets and snacks and any fizzy or fruit drinks. These will be very high in refined and hidden sugars and cause children to have peaks and troughs in their energy levels.  Try to encourage them to eat an apple or banana for a snack instead, or even make some flapjack at home for them….better still, teach them to make it – children love to cook!  Lots of children turn their noses up at fresh vegetables, but they are so easy to hide in dishes, such as spaghetti bolognaise, shepherds pie, casseroles etc.  Green leafy vegetables and carrots can be chopped really finely (in a food processor if you have one) and be added to mash potato – it makes the potato rather colourful and they really won’t be able to taste the vegetables. I always think it is best to introduce changes gradually, without ceremony, so as not to draw attention to the changes.

Brains, young and old, need essential fatty acids, (EFA’s) to maintain the health of the cell membranes.  There is lots of research and studies which demonstrate the beneficial effects of eating EFAs – behaviour generally improves, as does a child’s cognitive ability – even prisoners have been better behaved and fight less if given a supplement of EFA’s!

EFA’s can be found in nuts and seeds, oily fish, olive oil, sunflower oil, flax seeds/oil and avocados.  If your child is not allergic to nuts, you could chop some walnuts and almonds up with some sunflower & pumpkins seeds and add them to their cereal/porridge or yogurt, or even as a crunchy topping in apple crumble.  Try to use olive oil in your cooking as much as possible and try to introduce fish a couple of times a week.  This could be a tuna sandwich, tuna in a jacket potato or even fish cakes.

If you are one of those parents who are tearing their hair out with trying to manage any of the conditions (ADD; ADHD;dyspraxia;dyslexia), you might be interested in reading more about how you can help your child by reading the work undertaken by Dr. Alex Richardson, Food and Behaviour Research.