Link Between Food Consumption and ADHD

You are what you eat...

The other day I was in the supermarket browsing the tea selection when I heard a wail from behind me. I turned to see a little girl who was upset because her mother wouldn't buy her those sticky, "fruit" roll-ups. After the mother had calmed her daughter down and left the aisle, I took a peek at the ingredients. None were wholesome and most where words I had difficulty pronouncing. But I read between the lines of the all the ingredients on the list, it spelled one thing out very clearly: ADHD.

New research is showing a link between a child's consumption of food additives, particularly food colorings-like the kind used to give those chewy fruit snacks their brilliant red, blue, and orange hues -- and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That probably isn't news to those of us who have witnessed first-hand how calm an out-of-control child can suddenly become when placed on a diet that eliminates the biggest offenders: soft drinks, cookies, sugary breakfast cereals, and countless other foods that contain refined white flour, refined sugars, and refined carbohydrates. These, along with food additives and colorings, introduce toxic chemicals in the bloodstream, altering brain function and behavior, making children (and adults) restless and limiting their attention span.

People who eat large quantities of processed foods are also more likely to suffer from other mental disorders, from depression, aggression, and violent behavior to learning disabilities. The problem is that society recognizes the symptoms but not the underlying cause of all of these conditions. Treatment becomes a drug, rather than a change of diet.

The solution is surprisingly simple, yet very difficult for those of us used to grabbing "convenience" foods like those individually wrapped fruit roll ups the little girl in the supermarket wanted so badly. What we need to do is eat whole, unprocessed food. And to end the cycle of disease and ADHD, not to mention obesity, we need to pressure food manufacturers to stop targeting our children by advertising unhealthy products directly to them. We need to reformulate school lunches, rip out school vending machines, and educate parents on how to feed their children a nutritionally sound diet that is good for both their physical and mental well being.

It's a solution that won't come overnight. But some parents, like the woman I saw in the supermarket aisle, are making great strides in the right direction by simply refusing to buy the unhealthy, processed foods that line the shelves -- and we'd all do well to follow her lead.

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What is...attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is characterized by impulsive behavior, inattention, and restlessness, leading to difficulty functioning both at home and at work or school. Symptoms are generally apparent before age 7 and may last into adulthood. The disorder is more common in males than in females, and tends to run in families.

Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Editorial Director
Nutrition & Healing