Attention Deficit Disorder and Diet

You are what you eat! There is a large measure of truth in this saying especially in reference to food and child behavior. Ever since Dr. Benjamin Feingold alerted us to the dangers of artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives, we have become more conscious not only of the fast food industry but the whole process of food manufacturing in the contemporary world.

The problem is that the food we purchase at the supermarket is filled with preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners and additives all of which can produce different reactions in different people. Most studies on food additives have been done on separate and individual items. The safety of each item does not guarantee the safety of the product in which multiple additives are combined. We are all biochemically unique. Certain combinations can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive children, while others might not be affected at all.

We need to be more conscious of whole foods cooked at home: bread baked with unbleached whole grain flour without additives, soups and salads made with fresh garden tomatoes and greens harvested not weeks, but moments ago. We have traded the immediacy of "live" food for a whole culture of food allergies and sensitivities.

Research also indicates that children with attention deficit disorder have lower concentrations of omega fatty 3 acids. Low concentrations of omega fatty 3 acids, specifically DHA are associated with an increased risk of depression and brain deterioration. Risk for Alzehimer's Disease decreases with the consumption of omega 3 fats.

In AntiCancer: A New Way of Life, Dr. Servan-Schreiber locates the paucity of this essential fat in the dietary changes of our modern cows. The replacement of omega 3 rich grass pastures with battery farming means that the principal feed for cows comes now from corn, soy and wheat which are almost wholly devoid of omega 3 fatty acids.

It is no wonder that between 1970 and 1990, the mass of fatty tissue in children under one in the United States doubled, a statistic attributed by researchers Gerard Ailhaut and Philippe Guesnet to the change in the "character" of milk coming from grain fed cows.