Alternative Diet For Adhd Kids

Parents whose children have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may decide they don't want to rely only on medication to address the symptoms. These families can consider changing their childrens' (and family's) diet to eliminate artificial additives and sugar and increase proteins.

Protein

Adding additional protein to your child's diet may ease some of his symptoms. Instead of sweetened cereal, give him an egg along with his milk, juice or toast. Some parents find their children do better if they pair a protein with a sugary food. The protein balances out the "sugar crash" or dip in energy and helps your child to maintain a better focus.

A study completed by Dr. Richard Wurtman, a neurologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, shows that dietary protein can trigger the utilization of an alertness-inducing neurotransmitter while dietary carbohydrates can do the same with neurotransmitters that induce drowsiness. If your child does have to take medication to manage his ADHD symptoms, eating additional protein may help to reduce the attendant irritability or restlessness caused by the medication.

Depending on your child's age and size, he may need between 24 to 30 grams of protein a day. One cup of milk, an egg, a cup of soy milk or an ounce of meat or cheese each provide seven grams of protein.

Sugars

Some parents find that their children's ADHD symptoms become more pronounced if they have eaten something with a high sugar content. If you simply reduce the amount of sugar in your child's diet, he may respond with a lessening of his symptoms. While natural sugar might exacerbate ADHD symptoms, artificial sweeteners may be no better. Substances such as aspartame or sucrose may contribute to some ADHD symptoms. However, one study published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that no discernible behavioral or cognitive effects were observed in children believed to be sensitive to sugar.

Feingold Diet

Dr. Benjamin Feingold, a pediatrician and allergist from Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, began to advocate a special eating plan he had developed in the 1970s. This plan eliminates artificial food colorings, preservatives, flavorings and sweeteners, as well as salicylates, which are found in some fruits and vegetables. Although Feingold's dietary plan was dismissed and called "ineffective," one study that was published in the December 2004 Journal of Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics followed 15 previously published studies and concluded that additives and preservatives can have a negative effect on irritability, hyperactivity and insomnia in children who have been diagnosed with AHDH. Some parents and children have noted that they experience symptoms if they eat or drink something that is not allowed on the Feinberg diet.

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