My granddaughter is ADD. My daughter and I would like to find a diet that may help her. Can you suggest anything?

A.

Diet and nutritional supplementation can be helpful in treating attention deficit disorder. Food sensitivities and allergies, as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies often contribute to this problem. Sometimes simple measures such as elimination of excess sweets and artificial colors and flavors are enough to make a big difference in behavior. With other kids, identification and elimination or rotation of foods that cause allergy or sensitivities is needed. All kids benefit from adequate supplies of necessary vitamins and minerals-needed amounts can vary from child to child.

Here is one of my favorite cases that illustrates how simple this may be. A distraught pregnant mother of an very active 18 month old related how he wasn't sleeping well at all and this was keeping her from much needed sleep. Their pediatrician had prescribed a sleeping medication for him, but they were having difficulty getting the child to take it. His diet seemed mostly good, except for the can of Pepsi he insisted on having every night. I advised her to try eliminating the Pepsi. Within a week he was sleeping through the night without any medication.

With my own kids, I have observed how different foods can dramatically affect their behavior. My daughter, for instance, has always been a calm and well-behaved child. One time when she was about 4, we happened to buy some ice cream. Nothing special, just the regular store brand. Within 30 minutes of eating it, she was a wreck. Lying on the floor, screaming, totally out of control and not the child we knew. Wanting to confirm that this was the problem, we fed it to her again with the same result. Later we tried an ice cream that has only milk, sugar, and vanilla. No problem. Something in the one brand caused dramatic behavior change.

While treating ADD may not be as simple as these two examples, I would recommend starting with elimination of sweets, artificial colors and flavors and packaged foods with additives and preservatives. Also give your child a children's vitamin and mineral supplement (watch out for artificial colors and flavors) every day. You'll find some good choices at your health food store. You may need to try several brands to find one that your child likes. Essential fatty acid supplements help many kids. Flax oil or flax seed is one possibility, you might also try evening primrose oil or black current oil. They usually come in gel caps- so you may need to poke a hole in the capsule and squeeze the contents into food.

If these simple measures aren't effective, then it is time to look at more serious dietary changes. There is a very good book called Food Makes the Difference by Patricia Kane. It gives a thorough overview of dietary allergies and behavior, as well as how to evaluate which foods are causing the problem, and how to do food rotation. Unfortunately the book is out of print, but you might find it at your library or Amazon Books at www.amazon.com can check used book stores for a copy.

Since food allergy evaluation can be a complex process, you may want to consult with a physician who can guide you through this. Check with the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at www.naturopathic.org or with the American College for the Advancement of Medicine at www.acam.org or with the American Holistic Medical Association at www.ahmaholistic.com for a referral to someone experienced with diet and ADD.

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