Mediterranean Diet helps ADHD Kids – Studies Reveal All

28/05/2018

Mediterranean foodMEDITERRANEAN DIET HELPS ADHD KIDS- STUDIES REVEAL ALL

ADHD is thought to be affecting 1 in 20 children now in United States and 3.4% of children worldwide which has interested researchers in developing studies to examine whether dietary issues might have answers for children with ADHD symptoms and they have had encouraging results, in particular with a micronutrient rich Mediterranean diet.

Parents, families, caregivers and teachers know all the ADHD symptoms in kids that are displayed such as difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

It is a complex disorder but diet seems to be a large cause component according to their studies.

 A study looking at the potential benefits of the Mediterranean diet on ADHD wrote,” Our data support the notion that not only specific nutrients but the whole diet should be considered in ADHD.”

“Another research team – who investigated the relationship between vitamins and ADHD in young adults – found that lower concentrations of Vitamins B2, B6 and B9 were associated with ADHD and B2 and B6 were linked to the severity of the symptoms.”

Sourced from Could micronutrient supplements combat ADHD?

Could a Nutrient rich Diet for ADHD kids be the answer?

A diet rich in vegetables  and fruit has been shown to be full of micronutrients and to be a healthy option for us all but it seems as though it is particularly important for some children (and indeed some adults) who have signs of ADHD.

We all really need to be eating a Mediterranean type of diet that is rich in the right sort of fats that are essential for good health such as oily fish (like sardines, herrings, mackerel and wild salmon) nuts and seeds plus using cold pressed oils such as virgin coconut, flaxseed and olive oils.

Can a Mediterranean diet help ADHD kids?

A study from Universidad de Barcelona found that children and adolescents eating a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet may find that the ADHD symptoms are improved or even reversed.

“Dietary patterns of the Mediterranean diet can be related to a lower diagnose of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study.”

Sourced from Mediterranean diet linked to a lower risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

They also felt that kids with ADHD, because of the disorder, would tend to want to eat the foods containing unhealthy fats and sugar because they make them temporarily feel better, but which was causing a vicious circle.

They are not getting the vital micronutrients  such as magnesium, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamins that are so much needed because they are filling up with “rubbish” food, which makes symptoms worsen.

The study found that the Mediterranean diet supplies most of the micronutrients needed and I thoroughly endorse that.

I live in the South of France and feel very healthy and fit eating a Mediterranean diet!  I am what is popularly termed now a “pescatarian” as I do not eat meat but do eat fish!

Keeping a food and mood journal can be a very useful tool if food is thought to  be a trigger for symptoms.

Nutrient rich diet

Children and adolescents especially need a nutrient rich diet because they are growing and may in some instances need dietary supplements.This is because modern farming methods do not return to the soil the micronutrients that have been taken out by the crops, so the soil will have become trace mineral and vitamin deficient as will the crops that are grown in that soil.

The ideal thing to do is to grow one’s own vegetables and fruit then you can feed your produce naturally with organic fertilisers and be eating highly micronutrient rich food. It is not possible for everyone to do this, of course, due to lack of space, time and energy!

Even if you are lacking space it is surprising what can be grown in pots in a courtyard garden, balcony or on a windowsill.

Routine Lab testing for kids with ADHD?

I feel it is important to get lab testing done for children with ADHD symptoms to check for deficiencies that they may have in micronutrients, minerals and vitamins so that appropriate treatment can be given which may eliminate or reduce the need for medication.

ADHD Medication for kids or not?

I am not advocating cutting out medication without discussion with your health practitioner but this has certainly worked for the family in this video. I take my hat off to her for her  pluckiness! It is generally advisable to reduce ADHD type medications with a practitioner’s advice as it needs to be done gradually to avoid unpleasant side-effects.

It is so important to find the reason/cause for the symptoms rather than to opt immediately for ADHD medication for kids which may cause their own problems. More and more parents are searching for a natural therapy for their children and that is to be applauded.

Fitness before Conception

We also need parents to think before having a baby about their own health. At least one year preferably 2 years before conception, if possible, it is essential to do everything possible to get as fit as possible –

  1. Diet-wise, to eat plenty of organic vegetables and fruit as well as quality proteins and fats. Cut out the fast food.
  2. Drink good filtered water and cut out soda drinks.
  3. Detox to get rid of toxins that have been hiding in the body especially in the fatty tissues (which also frighteningly means the brain as it consists of a high degree of fatty acids).
  4. Exercise to get fit generally and have plenty of oxygen circulating in the body.
  5. Restricting alcohol to give the body every chance to be at its optimum level of health.
  6. Do everything possible to promote the health of parents to the optimum level so that “baby” has all the best chances possible when he or she arrives.

It is too late, or at least very difficult, to change things that have happened to “baby” when developing in the womb afterwards!!

The Importance of a Good Diet

It’s amazing how much depends on our diet and it is becoming more and more clear that finding a good healthy diet that suits you or your child, as a unique person, may be the most important thing you ever do because we need food to keep us alive and eat several times a day. If what we are ingesting is not nutrient-rich and if it also contains toxins into the bargain (for example the omni-present glyphosate) we may be poisoning and nutrient-starving ourselves slowly into ill-health and an early death!

It is especially important for children with ADHD and ADD symptoms to eat a really healthy diet, but certainly not exclusively as it affects us all..

We all need our good health and a Mediterranean diet may be a good place to start.

Are You Worried About Food additives?

Why you should be.

 

AAP are worried about Food Additives. Find out Why!

Food additives like salt and vinegar have been used for thousands of years to be able to preserve food for leaner times. Salt was a very precious mineral before the advent of fridges and freezers and at one point was even used as a sort of monetary unit.

Preserved_beans_OKkmud

Sugar came along later on and was used for preserving food too, and eventually for making chocolate, confectioneries, desserts and such like. Unfortunately, it is causing many of the health problems we are seeing today like diabetes, tooth decay, cardiovascular conditions and even thought to be, at least partly, to blame for dementia.

Chemical Food Additives

Chemical food additives were starting to be used more and more extensively from the 1940s as food producers were trying to find ways to preserve their food products so that they could be transported greater distances as means of transport became more extensive and the need greater.

Chemicals were not always tested because they were deemed to be Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS). This has left us in somewhat of a dilemma in modern times as this has not been reviewed.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has been looking into this problem and have published a report.

Common Food Additives may be Dangerous to Kids, AAP Report says

New AAP Report Says Food Additives Could Be Harming Kids

 Dina DiMaggio, MD, and Anthony F. Porto, MD, MPH, official spokespeople for the American Academy of Pediatrics and the co-authors of The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers. They write about the latest AAP guidelines, studies and seasonal issues affecting babies and toddlers. 

The ingredients in so many food products these days are difficult to pronounce and even harder to identify. And that’s a problem. This week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) came out with a report saying there’s increasing evidence that chemicals added to food can have concerning effects on kids’ health.

More than 10,000 chemicals are legally allowed to be directly added to our food or come in contact with our food through packaging, the report states. The long-term effects of some of these chemicals haven’t been well studied, while others can pose known health concerns.

Perhaps even more troublesome is the fact that while many chemicals are designated as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS), the FDA process of approving additives may involve conflicts of interest: The evaluation of an additive for GRAS designation is sometimes conducted by employees (or those with ties to) of the company that manufactures the additive. Plus, the FDA doesn’t have the necessary authority to reassess chemicals already in use that may have been approved years ago based on outdated testing methods, and no testing is being done to evaluate potential cumulative effects of food additives.

The AAP is calling for much needed improvements in regulating these chemicals, including making sure GRAS is sufficiently stringent,.

Sourced from New AAP Report Says Food Additives Could Be Harming Kids

 

Are Chemicals Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier of our children?

Now we are starting to recognise the effects that chemical food additives are having on us and especially on children. The latter may be due partly to their smaller size but also due to the fact that the blood-brain barrier of children does not become a proper barrier and is fairly porous until puberty or thereabouts. So what is the blood-brain barrier of children allowing to access the brain? This sounds scary!

This means that chemicals of all sorts can more easily cross into the brains of children and cause problems.

Food dyes/colourings have of recent years been particularly connected by scientists with ADHD and great benefit has been found by many parents by eliminating them from the child’s diet.

Glutamate, why do we need it?

Glutamate (also known as glutamic acid although it is a form of glutamate actually) is essential for our brains and our performance in everyday life.

Glutamate, which is a non- essential amino acid (protein), acts as a chemical messenger or in other words a neurotransmitter. It helps messages to pass down nerve cells. It is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain.

We would not function at all well if our glutamic acid levels were not sufficient.

We make our own glutamic acids but they are found naturally in the protein of both plants and animals.

Glutamate works by exciting the nerve cell which is why it is called an “excitatory neurotransmitter”.

Like the 3 bears story – The Glutamate level must be “just right”

The balance of glutamate needs to be just right to be able to pass the message efficiently, but not be over-excited/over stimulated, so that it cannot function properly and and as a result may cause strange symptoms in thought and sensory processes.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been found to give problems on this front! It is to be found in many foods in many guises but is especially known for its use in Chinese foods. Some Chinese restaurants are very good at not using MSG though, it has to be said.

Over-stimulation from MSG

The Mayo Clinic lists the following symptoms from over-stimulation from monosodium glutamate:

  • Headache
  • Flushing
  • Sweating
  • Facial pressure or tightness
  • Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
  • Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
  • Chest pain
  • Nausea
  • Weakness

There is thought that there might be a link between ADHD, autism and glutamate.

Genetically Modified food (GM) or (GMO) 

Genetically modified food is another problem that seems to be here to stay unless some drastic changes can be made.

A study was carried out back in 2011 in Quebec about the prevalence of the toxins that are implanted into genetically modified crops to make them more resistant to pests/weed-killer. The jury is out on which of those it is really there to resist. Glyphosate is a key player i this field.

Here is a report about the study by Andy Bloxham:

“Scientists at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the University of Sherbrooke Hospital Centre in Quebec, took dozens of samples from women.

Traces of the toxin were found 93 per cent of the pregnant mothers and in 80 per cent of the umbilical cords.

The research suggested the chemicals were entering the body through eating meat, milk and eggs from farm livestock which have been fed GM corn.

The findings appear to contradict the GM industry’s long-standing claim that any potentially harmful chemicals added to crops would pass safely through the body.

To date, most of the global research which has been used to demonstrate the safety of GM crops has been funded by the industry itself.

Food 

There are “apps” available now that can read bar-codes on food-labels and inform you as to how healthy the ingredients of the food product are and if it contains anything worrisome.

 

These apps can be productive in obtaining changes in what food our supermarkets supply us. It has been found that when supermarket-managers see their customers walking around reading barcodes avidly, that they start to think more carefully about how healthy the food is that they stock for their consumers.

Conclusion

We need to be aware when food-shopping that we should read food-labels (with the aid of apps too) and that we need to stay up-to-date with food processing, labelling rules and guide-lines so that we know what to expect to be labelled and what not. Buyer beware!

Growing your own food wherever and whenever possible is obviously the ideal thing to do given the time and the garden in which to do it, otherwise buying organic, non-GM food is the best alternative.

Meat, milk and eggs need to be from pasture-raised animals that are eating non-GM organic crops. As we have seen from the research study done in Quebec, it matters what the animals eat from which our food is sourced, whether it be meat, milk or eggs.

Remember - Healthy farm-animals produce healthy food.

 
 
Member of the International Institute for Complementary Therapists