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Triggering Attention Disorder
ADHD Is Fastest-Growing U.S. Child Disorder
Study Shows Diet May Be Effective In Treatment
Yet It May Not Be The Answer For Every Child

NEW YORK
Thursday, November 04,1999 - 04:03 PM ET

CBS
Some kids may react to milk, wheat or corn.

November 4, 1999
CBS-The Early Show

(CBS) About 4 million American children and teens are believed to have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. While most researchers agree that the disorder has genetic roots, they often disagree on treatment.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest has just released a report that concludes that food may be a culprit. Health Contributor Dr. Bernadine Healy shares the details on The Early Show.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition characterized by excessive levels of activity, impulsiveness and
distractibility and is the fastest-growing childhood disorder in the US. According to information published in the Journal of the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in November 1996, 5 percent to 7 percent of American children and teens - about 4 million, 80 percent of whom are boys - are believed to have this disorder. 

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In addition, another 13 million adults are believed to have it, bringing the total to a staggering 17 million Americans who battle the condition on a daily basis.  Most researchers agree that ADHD has genetic roots, but they often disagree on treatment.
The use of Ritalin, highly effective for a majority of these kids, coupled with behavior modification therapy is a well-established method.
The concern is Ritalin's side effects and the yet unknown long-term effects after kids take it for extended periods of time.

Diet as a solution: Another choice is changing a child's diet. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has reviewed what it
considers to be 23 of the best studies of how diet affects children's behavior. It concludes that the evidence strongly indicates that for
some children, behavioral disorders are caused or aggravated by certain food additives, artificial food colorings or foods themselves.

Foods that may be linked to ADHD include:
Foods that contain artificial food coloring and flavors, such as cupcakes, sodas, toothpaste and children's vitamins. Salicylates, found
in foods like apricots, berries and tomatoes.   Some kids may react to chocolate.  And others may react to milk, wheat or corn.  Various
approaches: For some, the goal is to remove foods or chemicals from a child's diet that cause the unwanted behavior.  Another approach is to eliminate from the child's diet one suspect food or substance at a time and see if there is an improvement.

Another more daunting approach is to put your child on a very simple diet that excludes all these foods and add back only one food at a time for a few days to see which one causes a change in behavior.   It may be tough for parents to keep their children away from problem foods. They may get that chocolate at school or a friend's house. And it may take a lot of homework on the parents' part - such as religiously reading food labels.  But it would be a mistake for a parent to totally rule out a nutritional strategy before giving their child Ritalin.

Study findings: Scientists are already aware of foods that change human behavior; tryptophan, found in turkey, can make you quite sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal. Also, while studies show caffeine can improve memory, endurance and mental alertness, drink four or five cups of coffee and you can end up over stimulated. In the case of ADHD, the literature doesn't suggest that a change in diet is the answer for every child. All ADHD may not be the same. As of now, there is no definitive blood test or brain scan that tests for ADHD.  There is a need for better studies of how diet affects children's behavior.  MRIs can show how the brain reacts to stimulants, including food.