Monday, November 15, 2010

ADHD Is Associated With a ‘Western’ Dietary Pattern in Adolescents

Amber L. Howard et al. Journal of Attention Disorders, July 14, 2010;

An Australian team has found an association between “Western style” dietary pattern and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Wendy H. Oddy, from Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (Perth, Australia), and colleagues assessed data collected on 2,868 live birth children enrolled in The Raine Study. At the study’s 14-year follow-up mark, the researchers collected data on the nowadolescent study subjects, and conducted diagnostic assessment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The team found that those teens who consumed a “Western style” diet, characterized by take-out and processed foods, were at more than a two-fold increased risk of developing ADHD, as compared to those teens who consumed a “healthy diet” featuring fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fish. Food sensitivity testing is a great tool to uncover those foods that may be causing behavioural issues. Blood tests can check 95 different food and the body’s immune reactions.