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(CBS) do diets that claim to reduce symptoms of ADHD in kids actually work?

PICTURES: Does your child really have ADHD? 17 things to rule out first

A new review of ADHD diets by pediatric researchers suggests healthy eating could actually help kids reduce their ADHD symptoms. But the researchers warn a diet probably shoud not be the first line of defense against ADHD, but merely a supplement to other proven therapies such as medication.

“Supplemental diet therapy is simple, relatively inexpensive, and more acceptable to patient and parent,” the authors wrote in the review, published in the Jan. 9 issue of Pediatrics. “Public education regarding a healthy diet pattern and lifestyle to prevent or control ADHD may have greater long-term success.”

For the study, Dr. J. Gordon Millichap and Michelle M. Yee, researchers at Children’s Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University in Chicago, reviewed 70 studies on diet-based treatments for ADHD.

Some diets that have been thought to reduce symptoms of ADHD include the preservative-free Feingold Diet, a sugar-restricted diet, an “elimination diet” that avoids potential food allergens, and diets loaded with Omega-3 fatty acid supplements that supposedly boost brain health. What did the researchers have to say?

The Feingold Diet, which says to avoid foods like apples, grapes, luncheon meet, hot dogs, cold drinks, and anything else with orange and red dyes, was not proven to be effective by other studies, the researchers said. Parents who wish to follow this diet need patience, perseverance, and an understanding doctor and nutritionist, the authors wrote.

What about sugar? on the surface it seems giving a kid too much sugar can boost hyperactivity, but the researchers said the majority of studies it looked at failed to demonstrate that a diet high in sugar or artificial sweeteners had an effect on a child’s behavior or cognitive function, thus questioning the importance of a low-sugar diet for kids with ADHD. The authors realize despite their findings, the perception that sugar makes a kid more hyperactive is unlikely to change.

Did any of the diets actually work?

Supplementation with Omega-3 and Omega 6- fatty acids, often found in fish oil supplements, helped some children reduce their ADHD symptoms and get higher grades at school. But the benefit was not clearly demonstrated across the board.

“Most parents are enthusiastic about trying the diet supplements, despite our explanation of only possible benefit and lack of proof of efficacy,” the authors wrote. “In almost all cases, for treatment to be managed effectively, medication is also required”

Other studies suggested a reduction in ADHD symptoms from the elimination or “hypoallergenic” diet, which cuts out some common allergy-inducing foods like cow’s milk and cheese, nuts, wheat cereal, and chocolate, and replaces them with hypoallergenic foods like lamb, potatoes, tapioca, carrots, and pears.

“We find the hypoallergenic diet might be effective, but difficult for families to manage them,” Millichap told HealthDay.

What worked best? A  “healthy” diet rich in fish, vegetables, whole-grain foods, fruits, and legumes seemed to improve symptoms for kids of ADHD, by combating some unhealthy foods found in a “Western” diet such as red meats, fast food, and high-fat dairy products. one Australian study found kids who typically eat a Western-style diet were significantly more likely to have ADHD than kids who ate the healthy diet.

The authors wrote, “A greater attention to the education of parents and children in a healthy dietary pattern, omitting items shown to predispose to ADHD, is perhaps the most promising and practical complementary or alternative treatment of ADHD.”

Approximately 9.5 percent of U.S. kids – more than 5.4 million children – have ADHD.

WebMD has more on ADHD.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a very serious disease that has been diagnosed more frequently each year, it seems. ADHD Symptoms in Children is extremely frustrating for parents because it can often be difficult for a parent to accurately assess. of course typically it takes a specialist to diagnose properly the condition of ADHD. you may find there are alot of different symptoms that can manifest in your child. often all you need to do is keep an eye on your child where ADHD is a concern. there are alot of different things that can affect this disorder and just as many treatment options. we will talk about some of the main symptoms of ADHD here in this article. however you must realize this is not a complete list of symptoms there are many others.

One symptom is the ADHD child has a tremendously hard time with following through with something, and it's usually instructions of some kind. What that means is many tasks beyond schoolwork, for example. While some little kids will have an endless supply of energy it's not always a sign of ADHD. This might seem like a no brainer but alot of parents are concerned about their children suffering with this disorder. ADHD and your child can be worrisome to many parents. so it is imperative that you consider all of the possibilities.

There are three particular categories of ADHD symptoms. Different kinds of behavior can further classify or describe these symptoms. The first category is the Hyperactive or Impulsive type of ADHD which actually is the classical ADHD condition. now there are additional categories, including the second category of Inattentive type, also know as ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. The combined type is the third category and encompasses children who exhibit inattentive as well as hyperactive behavior.

There are a few children with ADHD that have been known to engage in physically dangerous activities. Possible danger or negative outcomes are not considered by this child prior to acting. there are other behaviors such as impatience when waiting there turn for something have been seen. Answering a question before it is even asked completely is another common behavior. there is a definite apparent issue with patience seen in some of the behaviors.

Be sure to seek advice from your family physician if after looking at these factors, you feel there is cause for concern.

Expectant mothers who do not wash their fruit and vegetables properly could put their unborn children at risk of developing attention disorders, scientists suggested Thursday.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, studied expectant mothers who were exposed to pesticides throughout pregnancy and carried on the research until their children reached the age of five. the women, who lived in agricultural communities, were found to have absorbed organophosphates — which is widely used on food crops.

Scientists found that a tenfold increase in pesticide metabolites present in the expectant mothers’ urine correlated to a 500 percent increase in the chances of her child having ADHD symptoms by age five, with symptoms appearing to be stronger for boys than for girls.

The researchers said that because the mothers and children in the study live in an agricultural community, their exposure to pesticides is likely higher on average than that of the general U.S. population, but still urged pregnant women to thoroughly wash commercially grown fruit and vegetable produce.

“It’s known that food is a significant source of pesticide exposure among the general population. I would recommend thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, especially if you’re pregnant,” said Brenda Eskenazi, Berkeley professor of epidemiology and of maternal and child health.

Organophosphate pesticides act by disrupting neurotransmitters, particularly acetylcholine, which plays an important role in sustaining attention and short-term memory.

“Given that these compounds are designed to attack the nervous system of organisms, there is reason to be cautious, especially in situations where exposure may coincide with critical periods of fetal and child development,” said he study’s lead author Amy Marks.

Earlier this year, a different study by researchers at Harvard University associated greater exposure to organophosphate pesticides in school aged children with higher rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.

“These studies provide a growing body of evidence that organophosphate pesticide exposure can impact human neurodevelopment, particularly among children. we were especially interested in prenatal exposure because that is the period when a baby’s nervous system is developing the most,” said Eskenazi.

More than 300 children were tested and the researchers were continuing to follow the children as they get older and expect to present more results in the years to come. the current findings were published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Posted on23 June 2010.

University Daily Kansan, U. Kansas via UWIRE

Despite suspicions that getting a prescription for Adderall is fairly easy, little evidence has been able to support this claim until now. A recent study published in the Psychological Assessment Journal compared students with ADHD and others who pretended to have the disorder. Their results showed that anyone with knowledge of ADHD symptoms could pass as needing the medication.

As a freshman, Ayo Amadi struggled to focus on schoolwork. He decided to get tested for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. after only one visit and a series of questions, his doctor prescribed him Adderall — a drug highly sought by college students.

“He asked me how I’ve done in school, about my sleeping patterns and about my health, like how much I work out and how often I drink or smoke,” Amadi, now a senior from Parsons, said. “He didn’t run any actual tests. it was all on my input and what I said.”

While many college students seek the drug’s help to pull all-nighters for exams, or to simply get high, Amadi said he doesn’t like to take his medication because of the negative side effects he experiences.

“It gave me a pleasant buzz and helped me focus, but after the first month it gave me headaches and I didn’t feel good,” Amadi said. “After a while I realized I didn’t really need it.”

Myra Strother, senior physician for Student Health Services, said anyone claiming to have ADHD need to have documentation that they’ve had the symptoms since childhood. she said doctors need to look at multiple areas of the person’s life and should check up on their lifestyle.

“There’s no such thing as ‘I hit college and got it’,” Strother said. “Doctors need to think, do they have anxiety? do they drink too much?”

Strother conducts ADHD screening at Watkins Health Center on campus. she tests students to make sure there’s a possibility they could have the disorder. from there Counseling and Psychological Services performs a full evaluation that consists of three to five sessions at $15 each.

“It seems like it’s very easy to get Adderall on this campus, which is horrible,” Strother said. “I can’t imagine why anyone would go through the whole testing process when they can just get it from someone else.”

Whether students can fool doctors or buy the drug from others, Adderall is prevalent among college-aged adults.

But the drug that allows students to procrastinate until the night before a due date can also give users serious health problems. Potential side affects of Adderall include dizziness, pounding heartbeats and insomnia.

“For people who abuse the drug on a normal basis it’s really bad,” Strother said. “Drinking with it can hurt your liver, you won’t get enough sleep and people can get really anxious if it’s not prescribed to them.”

Strother said that psychologists need to be careful they don’t give prescriptions to those who don’t need it but can’t deny medication to those who do.

“I’ve seen situations where doctors give people the medication too easily,” Strother said. “But kids that actually have ADHD can be a lot more successful with medication.”

Read more here: kansan.com/news/2010/jun/22/study-its-easy-fake-adhd-symptoms/

Copyright 2010 University Daily Kansan

Oftentimes it is helpful to have a checklist for ADHD symptoms to refer to. by keeping this checklist handy you will be able to evaluate the possibility of ADHD in very concise, business like way, rather than having to go through the mental gymnastics of trying to remember the numerous symptoms of inattentive ADHD and then attempting to make a judgment.

If you are a teacher you might want to keep this 14 point checklist for ADHD in your desk. if you are using it to evaluate your child for the condition you might want to keep this checklist for ADHD in an accessible place at home. if you are an employer trying to help your employees excel you might consider keeping this list in your wallet as a reference guide when a potential ADHD situation occurs.

Defining inattention

Inattention is the inability to focus or to stay focused and is at the core of the ADHD diagnostic criteria. Taken a step further inattention is problem with self regulation; not knowing how and when to focus on something. And if you were to delve even deeper defining inattention from a biological perspective you would find that inattentive ADHD is an imbalance in brain chemicals; specifically having too much norepinephrine and too little dopamine.

14 point checklist for ADHD – Inattention

*Unable to listen carefully. Continually misinterpreting the spoken word.

*Inability to stay focused on material unless it is of great person interest.

*Tendency to daydream, drift, or wander when the subject matter is mundane or boring.

*Has trouble focusing on the fine print or important details.

*Trouble remember where things are placed. Examples might be lost homework, books, or misplaced car keys.

*Just can’t quite seem to get the knack for staying focused while reading.

*Tendency to completely ignore things that are of little interest by simply tuning them out.

*Learning new skills seems to be next to impossible, requiring a great amount of energy and willpower.

*Those with inattentive ADHD will tend to zone out during conversations that are too long or that fail to grab their interest. this could also be applied to lectures or lengthy teacher oratories.

*Hyperfocus is often encountered when the subject matter fascinates the inattentive ADHD individual, making it difficult to for them to take a break or change subject matter.

*Distractibility is a constant annoyance, with even the most minor disturbances fracturing concentration and focus. Once fractured those with ADHD have trouble re-starting and may prefer to move on to another endeavor.

*Following written or spoken direction is difficult if not impossible most of the time.

*Becoming easily distracted by one’s own thoughts while trying to concentrate.

*Being able to focus sometimes, but not others, even if the activity is of interest.

In conclusion, there are many disadvantages involved with inattentive ADHD and it is described best by one story I recently read involving a 9 year old boy who loved to put together model airplanes and trucks.

There would be days when this young boy would do things exactly right but other days he would start putting a section together and begin daydreaming, losing track of what came next and ultimately ending up gluing the wrong part into the section. this scattered thinking eventually made him give up model building even though it was something he loved.

The example above is just one of the many possible instances that highlight the difficulty for those with inattentive ADHD (all ages).