ADHD is a commonly misunderstood condition that affects children and adults alike. According to the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health, “the number of children being diagnosed with ADHD is increasing, but it is unclear why.” One of the reasons for this increase can be attributed to our diets. Many of the things that people put in their bodies can’t even be considered food these days. Let’s take a look at how one’s diet can contribute to ADHD.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a developmental disorder characterised by an ongoing pattern of one or more of the following types of symptoms:

• Inattention, such as having difficulty paying attention, keeping on task, or staying organised.

• Hyperactivity, such as often moving around (including during inappropriate times), feeling restless, or talking excessively.

• Impulsivity, such as interrupting, intruding on others, or having trouble waiting one’s turn.

It is estimated that ADHD affects 9% of American children between the ages of 13 to 18, and 4-5% of the adult population.

Priority #1 - Remove sugar

When it comes to ADHD, most people know that sugar is a major contributor to the symptoms of ADHD, and needs to be avoided as much as possible. Sugar causes a spike in your blood sugars, leading to hyperactivity. When blood sugars drop back down, a lack of focus will result. Removing sugar from the diet, especially refined sugar, should be the number one priority for anyone with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms. This includes foods such as chocolate, lollies, baked goods, ice cream, soft drinks, fruit juices and fast food.

Priority #2 - Remove gluten and dairy

Gluten and dairy are both highly inflammatory, and can affect many of the different organs and glands in the body. The gut is one of the worst affected systems. Gluten releases a protein that pulls apart the tight junctions in the intestines, effectively causing leaky gut. This allows larger molecules to enter the bloodstream, exposing the body to potential autoimmune reactions.

Dairy causes inflammation within the small villi of the gut wall, which can prevent important molecules from entering the bloodstream. Gluten and dairy can both lead to gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of the gut microbiome. This can contribute to gut infections such as bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, and decrease the effective absorption of nutrients in the body.

What other foods need to be avoided?

These foods should be eliminated wherever possible to help improve the symptoms of ADHD:

• Additives and preservatives

• Caffeine

• MSG

• Nitrates

• Artificial sweeteners

• Soy

• Any other known food allergens

What should an ADHD diet look like?

For those suffering from ADHD, whether it’s children or adults, it’s really important to maintain steady blood sugar levels. This is done by eating healthy protein, fat and fibre, including low GI foods. This essentially means a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, organic meats and omega-3 fatty acids.

A healthy diet includes the following foods:

• Omega-3 foods - salmon, mackerel, sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds

• High protein foods - organic chicken breast, beef liver, lamb, grass-fed beef, sardines, tempeh, wild caught salmon, eggs

• Iron rich foods - spinach, liver, dark chocolate, lentils, spirulina, sardines, black beans

• B vitamin rich foods - salmon, green leafy vegetables, liver and other organ meats, eggs, beef

• Probiotic foods - kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, natto

Supplements can be beneficial too

Vitamin B6 and manganese can be very effective in helping to calm down the nervous system by decreasing sympathetic activity and increasing parasympathetic activity. Other B vitamins such as vitamin B12 can help improve nerve function, whilst fish oil and cod liver oil can help to boost omega-3 levels and improve brain function.

Chiropractic care and ADHD

It is common to see children and adults with ADHD present with retained neonatal reflexes. Neonatal reflexes are a set of pre-programmed responses and behaviours designed to help us survive in the early stages of life. These reflexes appear in utero and help us develop our muscular tone, balance, hand-eye coordination and basic movement patterns.

Within 12-18 months, neonatal reflexes normally integrate into higher brain centres and we develop our postural reflexes that remain with us for the rest of our lives. If these reflexes don’t integrate correctly, they may interfere with behaviour, learning, balance, normal body movement, vision, hormonal function, fine motor control and more.

The Retained Neonatal Reflexes technique uses a number of very precise structural corrections, including cranio-sacral therapy, to assist with the integration of retained neonatal reflexes. Exercises and supplements may also be required to help with the integration of these reflexes.

Living with ADHD

ADHD can affect everyone differently, which is one reason why children with ADHD struggle in the traditional educational system. Many people with ADHD are hands-on learners, so sitting in a classroom or an office for eight hours at a time is not natural for them.

Finding schools and jobs that understand that children and adults learn and process things differently can have a vast impact on what children get out of school and what adults contribute to the workplace.

It’s important to work with people who have ADHD to bring out their strengths, and to understand how they learn or work best so that we can support them throughout their school and working life.

Don’t let ADHD hold you back in life

ADHD can be a complex issue, and improving you or your child’s diet is only one component of the overall strategy. However, a healthy diet has been shown to have a drastic impact on improving the lives of those with ADHD. Take it one step at a time and don’t get overwhelmed by trying to make too many drastic changes at once. There are also some amazing support networks that can help you on this journey to living an incredible life with ADHD.

References:

1. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd

2. https://draxe.com/health/adhd-diet/