Hyperactivity and Diet

I haven't been posting for a while because I was busy on some other stuff at work. However, I kept coming across a topic so much that it kinda bothered me to write something about it. As I was browsing through a forum the other day, I encountered an inquiry from a mother who was at her wits end. She was having trouble with her uncooperative son and did not know what to do about it. I replied to her, suggesting that she pay close attention to her kid's diet. However, I could not give her specific information on what to do.

Now that I am able to get back to writing on my blog, I decided to do a quick research into the subject. I mentioned in my reply to her to avoid foods like corn, wheat, milk, soy, oranges, eggs, chocolate and milk. Browsing some websites, I also found out about a thing called the Feingold Diet which specifically focuses on the role of food in hyperactive children.

This diet, as proposed by Dr. Benjamin Feingold in 1973, stated that salicylates, petroleum-based preservatives and artificial colorings and flavorings caused hyperactivity in children. Hyperactivity is now also known as Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD] or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD]. He also wrote a book on this, for those of you who wish to do reading on the subject, the title is Why Your Child Is Hyperactive. The official site of the Feingold Diet program can be found here.

I for one am very much for the consumption of natural foods, which is why the Feingold Diet interested me. However, the diet is not without its detractors. Although a lot of parents swear by its efficacy, the National Advisory Commission on Hyperkinesis and Food Additives says that Feingold's hypothesis was "based on clinical findings and not on rigorous clinical trials or experimental research". It also has to be known that the Feingold Diet prohibits the intake of some fruits and vegetables.

There are other factors, of course, which affects hyperactivity in children. It could be a whole gamut of things and changing your child's diet may not make the condition magically disappear. However, since more and more parents are looking to pre-prepared meals and processed food nowadays due to it's convenience, a child's diet should be looked at first before resorting to any medication. Read more about the Feingold diet, then consult a pediatric dietitian about it. Make sure that you are well informed first before deciding anything.