Study: Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugs
I’ve heard people say this for years, and now a recent study supports it: food may be key in treating ADHD. I heard about it on NPR the other day, check thearticle out here.
Some highlights:
According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Lidy Pelsser, 64% of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food. Researchers determined that by starting kids on a 5 week diet and eliminating foods over a few weeks’ time, they could find out which foods are causing the problems.
Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. “In fact, they were flabbergasted,” Pelsser says.
“After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior,” she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.
But diet is not the solution for all children with ADHD, Pelsser cautions. She says we should start with diet research in all children. If a child’s behavior doesn’t change, then drugs may still be necessary. “But now we are giving them all drugs, and I think that’s a huge mistake,” she says.
Chinese Medicine would agree!
-Katie