Treating ADHD With Diet - Take These Sensible Suggestions On Board

I was fascinated to read that treating ADHD with diet has taken a new step forward in that the famous Omega 3 fatty acids from fish may be getting a boost. The report comes from a recent issue of the Food Science and Technology Journal.

They have conducted experiments in which they can successfully extract these Omega 3 fats from very cheap fish and the incorporate them into everyday food and snacks.

That would be a revolution because any food would have the right amount of these fatty acids and there would be no further need for supplementation. But, until this happens, we will have to go on either giving our children lots of fish and flaxseed oil or using a pharmaceutical grade supplement.

But is treating ADHD with diet really worth all the effort? The answer is of course yes, in that there are now many studies that show that diet does have an enormous influence on a child's brain Having said that, there is, on the other hand no magic diet for ADHD. But we can follow some really sensible guidelines to make sure we are on the right road, at least.

Apart from the above ideas here are some more sensible suggestions on treating ADHD with diet. The first thing is not be phased at all when you read all the different types of ADHD diet because they are not suitable for all children, hence the enormous variation.

We have the gluten free and casein free diets, the low sugar diet, the rotation diet, the Feingold diet, the high protein diet and the organic diet. The list just goes on and on. The important thing to remember here is that each child will be allergic to different things and that he or she may react differently to a dairy free or gluten free diet. We just have to experiment a little and find out when behavior improves after eating certain foods. A food diary is an essential piece of equipment here.

In general though, it has been found that ADHD children have certain nutritional deficiencies and their brains are just not getting the right food to maximise their cognitive potential. It is useful to think of their brain chemicals as faulty wiring. If we can improve the speed and quality of those signals, then behavior and learning are bound to show some progress.

Here are sensible ways we can put this into action:-

1. Ramp up consumption of fruit and vegetables. The Pediatrics journal advises us to get organic and biological where possible as the majority of vegetables contain organophosphates which are the nasty toxic leftovers from pesticides.

2. Cut down on highly processed foods as these are not good for healthy brain function. Studies in The Journal of Attention Disorders clearly demonstrate this.

3. Cut down on sugar and be aware that fruit juices contain too much of this. Then there are the hidden sugars such as dextrose and fructose which again should be avoided.

4. Go for a different breakfast in that you are going to serve some protein. Studies show that this avoids a sugar spike and keeps blood sugar levels steadier throughout the day.

5. Ramp up on yogurts, smoothies made with some of the healthier options listed above and high protein drinks which have no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

As we have seen, treating ADHD with diet is neither simple nor straightforward and certainly one size does not fit all. But if we follow the suggestions above then we can be sure that we are maximizing brain potential and that is what ADHD is all about really.