Solving the puzzle of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Helping a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is like solving a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces: you have to identify the out-of-place pieces, then fit them in and complete the puzzle. These “pieces” include cognitive therapy, special education, strategies to improve sleep, medication, environmental toxins, and nutritional interventions. To identify the nutritional pieces, two questions should be asked. 1) Are there nutrients this child is not consuming in large enough amounts in the diet, like zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids? 2) Are there foods or food additives in the diet that the child needs to avoid because they increase symptoms of ADHD? For the last 35 years, researchers have studied the effects of artificial food dyes (AFDs) on the behavior of children with symptoms of ADHD. Some of these studies are well reviewed by Kanarek in the present issue of this journal and by Stevens et al. elsewhere (2011).1 Although animal studies were beyond the scope of Kanarek's review, there have been some interesting studies of the effects of artificial food dyes on animal behavior. For example, Shaywitz and Goldenring2 studied the effects of a mixture of artificial colors on rats and found significant increases in motor activity ( P < 0.001) and a reduction of activity habituation ( P < 0.001) in rats dosed with a mixture of the dyes.2 Several years later, Goldenring et al.3 administered sulfanilic acid, a major metabolite … [↵][1] LJ Stevens , Department of Foods & Nutrition, Purdue University, 700 W. State Street G-1, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. E-mail: stevens5{at}purdue.edu, Phone: 1-765-447-4570, Fax: 1-765-494-0906. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1