Hyper Kids – What NOT to eat

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder) is a brain disorder and according to  healthline.com 7 percent of all children have it.  Some simple ways of helping a child with ADHD can be to change their diet.  Here are a few ideas of chemicals and ingredients to leave out.

  • The FDA requires FD&C Yellow No. 5, also called tartrazine, and FD&C Red No. 40, also called allura, to be listed on food packages
  • BHA, BHT, sodium nitrate, and TBHQ. (a chemical preservative)
  • Sugar and artificial sweeteners
  • Salicylate (a natural substance abundant in red apples and other healthy foods like almonds, cranberries, grapes, and tomatoes)Dr. Benjamin Feingold eliminated artificial dyes and flavors and salicylates from the diets of his hyperactive patients. He claimed 30 to 50 percent of them improved.
  • Allergens: wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish. Tracking food-behavior connections makes your elimination experiment more effective. A doctor or dietitian can help you with this process.

This information was cited from Heathline.com.

The Medication Controversy

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ADHD is the most extensively studied pediatric mental health disorder, yet controversy and public debate over the diagnosis and medication treatment of the disorder continue to exist.
Concerns  have been raised by professionals, media commentators, parents and the public about the possibility of overdiagnosis of ADHD in youths and the possibility of overprescribing stimulant medications. The debate continues regarding ADHD and over the overdiagnosed  stimulant drugs are overused and overprescribed in children and adolescents with and without ADHD
  • Before 1970, the diagnosis of ADHD was relatively rare for schoolchildren and almost nonexistent for adolescents and adults.
  • Between 1980 and 2007, there was an almost 8-fold increase of ADHD prevalence in the United States compared with rates of 40 years ago.
As a parents it is very important to be informed as to the possibilities of  doctors over prescribing  and the financial benefit doctors possibly might be involved in.
  • Doctors are human, and there is room for mistakes, and for dishonesty.  Parents are usually in a desperate situation when they get  to a point of seeking options like medication.
  • It is important to be aware of the statistics and the health risks that come with giving your child stimulant medication.
  • Parents need to be more educated about what happens behind the scenes before drugging their child into better performance.
Information cited from: