ADHD Brain Storm

ADHD Treatments: The Diet

When considering the right ADHD treatment for a child or an adult, it can be important to take a look at their specific diet.  Those that find that medication do not work, do not want to take medication or are looking for added benefits with the medications should take a look at the diet of the individual that has ADHD.  Studies have shown that many individuals that have ADHD also have diet deficiency.  Other studies have shown that some individual’s that do have ADHD have a body chemistry that reacts to some food products in the wrong way, leading to worsened symptoms.

It is essential to take a good look at the diet of the individual and adjust it if at all possible.  Diet modification can help to improve the ADHD that an individual has, improving their life quality and lessening symptoms.  One of the most well known types of diets to consider is that of the Feingold Diet.  In this diet, the idea is to pull out some of the most unnatural of elements that are commonly found in food today.  This may including such things as salicylates, food colorings and flavors that are not naturally there, as well as preservatives that are not natural.

Modifying the diet can be quite troublesome to individuals that face ADHD.  Many times, children are the hardest hit by this change.  Removing foods that are packed with preservatives, artificial flavorings and other poor quality ingredients can be difficult as it is in many of the children’s favorite foods.  The more that they consume of these products though, the more troublesome their health and their ADHD can be. 

One effective method to getting past this problem is to keep the diet in mind as a food change for the entire family.  As none of these ingredients has shown to be good for the body, everyone can benefit by not consuming things like junk food chips, cookies, and other candies.  Limiting them can also be helpful.  Working to incorporate better health benefiting products is also a good thing.

There are some studies that show that improving the diet of a child with more whole foods, including foods that are not processed or refined can help to improve their ADHD symptoms.  Although it is not thought of as causing the ADHD in the first place, there is evidence that an improved diet can lead to improvements overall for the child or adult that suffers from ADHD.