By Judy Davie
“Can you please provide me some information on how diet can affect children suffering concentration and learning problems and with ADD? What foods should be avoided and what foods added to assist?”
Research has shown that a diet free of processed foods with additives can have a significant effect on children with ADD.
A study on identical twins in England found after only one week, the twin who had been put on a diet free of additives was more able to concentrate than his brother who maintained his normal eating habits. In a month the IQ of the twin on the special diet was 15 percent higher than his brother’s. (They tested the same at the start of the study).
There are over 300 additives used in food manufacturing, and while some of these are okay, many are not — particularly when you have a child suffering from behavioural problems.
Common additives believed to influence hyperactivity include preservative 220, used in the process of dried fruits, and sulphates in cured meat such as bacon, prosciutto, and cabanossi. The book Additive Alert is a must to check the additives used in foods you commonly use. You can also check them out on the website www.additivealert.com.au
There is some evidence to suggest that increasing the intake of Omega 3 fatty acid in the diet may also have a role in improving memory, concentration and behavioural problems. Omega 3 is found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines. You can buy Omega 3 fortified eggs and there are a number of emerging products on the market with added Omega 3. Be careful with these that you don’t buy a product with some other additives that negate the benefits of the Omega 3.
To wrap up my suggestion is simple. Cut out as much processed food as you possibly can. Reduce your child’s consumption of sugar, and eat fresh natural produce and at least three fish meals a week.
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