Comments on: Food Additives & ADHD http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/ Dr. John Grohol's daily update on all things in psychology and mental health. Since 1999. Fri, 25 May 2012 15:58:44 +0000 hourly 1 By: Michael http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-706024 Michael Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:12:43 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-706024 There is no reason to believe that all forms of ADHD are caused by food dyes, or that taking them away after damage is done would necessarily be a cure for those that are. This research, and my own experience as a parent, shows a correlation. Trying to shout it down just because your own situation is different is not helpful. It looks like moving away from food dyes will help and I applaud those who do it, but I do not expect that it will fix everyone with the problem. There is no reason to believe that all forms of ADHD are caused by food dyes, or that taking them away after damage is done would necessarily be a cure for those that are. This research, and my own experience as a parent, shows a correlation. Trying to shout it down just because your own situation is different is not helpful. It looks like moving away from food dyes will help and I applaud those who do it, but I do not expect that it will fix everyone with the problem.

]]> By: cs http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-703553 cs Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:54:53 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-703553 My daughter has been on the list of maybe having ADD not ADHD but I'm not totally convinced she's ADD and I'm willing to try elimination diets to validate before I choose medication. I have seen the immediate affect of red40 on her. One minute she is happy and talking and telling me about her day at school, while she's sittings down to do her homework. She works quietly for awhile and I offer her a snack of a KitKat, which does have red40, and a glass of milk. Within 5 minutes she is a complete wackadoodle. She can't look you in the eye, or follow a conversation, her mind goes from one great idea to another and she can't sit still for more than 1 minute at a time. She becomes very emotional and argumentative and impulsive. I don't believe red dye causes ADHD but I think it contributes to the inability to properly diagnos kids, if everything they eat contains a behavioral trigger. My daughter has been on the list of maybe having ADD not ADHD but I’m not totally convinced she’s ADD and I’m willing to try elimination diets to validate before I choose medication. I have seen the immediate affect of red40 on her. One minute she is happy and talking and telling me about her day at school, while she’s sittings down to do her homework. She works quietly for awhile and I offer her a snack of a KitKat, which does have red40, and a glass of milk. Within 5 minutes she is a complete wackadoodle. She can’t look you in the eye, or follow a conversation, her mind goes from one great idea to another and she can’t sit still for more than 1 minute at a time. She becomes very emotional and argumentative and impulsive. I don’t believe red dye causes ADHD but I think it contributes to the inability to properly diagnos kids, if everything they eat contains a behavioral trigger.

]]> By: Traci http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-623882 Traci Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:10:06 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-623882 I have seen the direct effects of red 40 on my daughter. They also say that it can effect other kids as well. Around the age of 3 or 4 is when it is prevalent. My oldest daughter can have it now but when she was 4 - no way. My youngest has adhd along with other things and i do not believe that the additives caused any of it but I do believe that kids with adhd are more sensitive to these additives. I wish there was a way to tell exactly which ones effect her without having to eliminate everything. The colorings and preservatives in our foods are crazy. High fructose corn syrup and aspartame are really bad as well for the brain. I "heard". I am just a parent and not a medical professional. I have seen the direct effects of red 40 on my daughter. They also say that it can effect other kids as well. Around the age of 3 or 4 is when it is prevalent. My oldest daughter can have it now but when she was 4 – no way.
My youngest has adhd along with other things and i do not believe that the additives caused any of it but I do believe that kids with adhd are more sensitive to these additives. I wish there was a way to tell exactly which ones effect her without having to eliminate everything. The colorings and preservatives in our foods are crazy. High fructose corn syrup and aspartame are really bad as well for the brain. I “heard”. I am just a parent and not a medical professional.

]]> By: Nilesh.Ravindran http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-623744 Nilesh.Ravindran Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:48:33 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-623744 ADD is contagious.add can be transferred to childrens from adults suffering from add. add is satanic in nature.i came to know about my add in 2003. i accidentally contaminated a child with add, when i was in depression.god help these world from psychological problems ADD is contagious.add can be transferred to childrens from adults suffering from add. add
is satanic in nature.i came to know about my
add in 2003. i accidentally contaminated a child with add, when i was in depression.god help these world from psychological problems

]]> By: Alex http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-442164 Alex Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:00:04 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-442164 I agree entirely with Nicole R!! I am 26 and have struggled with ADHD my entire life. I am sick to death of people deciding that it is some behavioural problem, our parents didn't bring us up right, food preservatives cause it etc etc. I don't understand how people are still talking about this as if we know nothing. It has been shown that people with ADHD have a mutated dopamine transporter, and many also have mutated receptor. As well as this, the brain anatomy is different. The other thing is that people have absolutely no idea what it is like not to be able to choose what to think about/ listen to. You should try attending a physics lecture and not being able to listen to the lecture because your thoughts happen to be louder at the time. Food additives are not a cause of ADHD, they may exaggerate it, and they may make non-ADHD sufferers exhibit some symptoms. Thanks bout all I agree entirely with Nicole R!! I am 26 and have struggled with ADHD my entire life. I am sick to death of people deciding that it is some behavioural problem, our parents didn’t bring us up right, food preservatives cause it etc etc. I don’t understand how people are still talking about this as if we know nothing. It has been shown that people with ADHD have a mutated dopamine transporter, and many also have mutated receptor. As well as this, the brain anatomy is different.

The other thing is that people have absolutely no idea what it is like not to be able to choose what to think about/ listen to. You should try attending a physics lecture and not being able to listen to the lecture because your thoughts happen to be louder at the time.

Food additives are not a cause of ADHD, they may exaggerate it, and they may make non-ADHD sufferers exhibit some symptoms.

Thanks bout all

]]> By: ADHD calmed down http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-302064 ADHD calmed down Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:21:55 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-302064 I would have to say that I strongly agree with the link between junk and sweet food causing ADHD to be worse and maybe even the original cause of our youth suffering from it. Being a mother of someone with ADHD it is very up lifting to know that I do have more control of the effects of ADHD on my son. I wouldn't say that diet alone will change it or even stop ADHD totally from our society but I do believe that it is a very huge factor. I would have to say that I strongly agree with the link between junk and sweet food causing ADHD to be worse and maybe even the original cause of our youth suffering from it.
Being a mother of someone with ADHD it is very up lifting to know that I do have more control of the effects of ADHD on my son. I wouldn’t say that diet alone will change it or even stop ADHD totally from our society but I do believe that it is a very huge factor.

]]> By: c.mclaughlin http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-300662 c.mclaughlin Sun, 28 Oct 2007 03:15:42 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-300662 I agree that there is a link with diet and children, as for adults, perhaps the damage is done in the early years and the brian wiring is permanently changed. Since there is no true medical test for ADHD and the label is so vague, I believe that it is a blanket diagnosis that covers a variety of disorders along a spectrum. To dismiss one theroy because it does not agree with your own experience is shortsighted. I have seen first hand the effects of red dye on hyperactive children. If drugs (chemicals), such as adderal, can effect the innerworkings of your brain, surely the chemicals in artificial food additives can also effect brain activity. I agree that there is a link with diet and children, as for adults, perhaps the damage is done in the early years and the brian wiring is permanently changed. Since there is no true medical test for ADHD and the label is so vague, I believe that it is a blanket diagnosis that covers a variety of disorders along a spectrum. To dismiss one theroy because it does not agree with your own experience is shortsighted. I have seen first hand the effects of red dye on hyperactive children. If drugs (chemicals), such as adderal, can effect the innerworkings of your brain, surely the chemicals in artificial food additives can also effect brain activity.

]]> By: Nicole R http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-299806 Nicole R Sat, 27 Oct 2007 02:44:54 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-299806 Give me a BREAK!! I don't eat any sugar, preservatives, etc. and I have severe ADHD. I am 34 yrs old and the only thing that has saved me from a life of car accidents and unemployment was Adderall. I tried life w/out it and after being fired 4x and countless car accidents I decided to accept that ADHD is real and I need medication. I have been fine ever since. ADHD is a brain condition, I had a PET scan, I saw the difference between my brain and a "non ADHD" brain. What do you know about it Give me a BREAK!! I don’t eat any sugar, preservatives, etc. and I have severe ADHD. I am 34 yrs old and the only thing that has saved me from a life of car accidents and unemployment was Adderall. I tried life w/out it and after being fired 4x and countless car accidents I decided to accept that ADHD is real and I need medication. I have been fine ever since. ADHD is a brain condition, I had a PET scan, I saw the difference between my brain and a “non ADHD” brain. What do you know about it

]]> By: lkp http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-285292 lkp Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:39:58 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-285292 I saw a change in diet to foods with no preservatives, sugars, dyes, etc work for "ADHD" over 30 years ago. I have been telling parents this for years. Forget the medications, feed your children the proper foods. I saw a change in diet to foods with no preservatives, sugars, dyes, etc work for “ADHD” over 30 years ago. I have been telling parents this for years. Forget the medications, feed your children the proper foods.

]]> By: University Update - ADHD - Food Additives & ADHD http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-284073 University Update - ADHD - Food Additives & ADHD Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:51:08 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-284073 [...] West Nile Virus Food Additives & ADHD » This Summary is from an article posted at - World of Psychology on Sunday, September 30, 2007 This article's contents are copywritten by the author of - World of Psychology. Please click "View Original Article..." below to view the article. Summary Provided by Technorati.comView Original Article at - World of Psychology » 10 Most Recent News Articles About ADHD [...] [...] West Nile Virus Food Additives & ADHD » This Summary is from an article posted at – World of Psychology on Sunday, September 30, 2007 This article’s contents are copywritten by the author of – World of Psychology. Please click "View Original Article…" below to view the article. Summary Provided by Technorati.comView Original Article at – World of Psychology » 10 Most Recent News Articles About ADHD [...]

]]> By:   Food Additives & ADHD by diet.MEDtrials.info http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-284003   Food Additives & ADHD by diet.MEDtrials.info Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:37:44 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-284003 [...] article continues at willmeek brought to you by diet.medtrials.info and conSALSITA [...] [...] article continues at willmeek brought to you by diet.medtrials.info and conSALSITA [...]

]]> By: Nutrition » Food Additives & ADHD http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-283998 Nutrition » Food Additives & ADHD Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:14:55 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/30/food-additives-adhd/#comment-283998 [...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHowever, nutrition research has made a link between some food additives and ADHD. Specifically, some additives found in popular soft drinks may play a role. One of the additives, sodium benzoate, has been linked to cell damage in a … [...] [...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHowever, nutrition research has made a link between some food additives and ADHD. Specifically, some additives found in popular soft drinks may play a role. One of the additives, sodium benzoate, has been linked to cell damage in a … [...]

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