Can Food Sensitivities Cause ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be significantly affected by the types of foods a person eats. Though different foods trigger behavioral problems in different children who have ADHD, a restricted diet can make a huge improvement. In fact, almost 80 percent of children who have ADHD have been shown to improve significantly after five weeks of a restricted diet.

More about ADHD:

• There are no specific foods linked with ADHD. Despite some claims, the British National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, states that "there is no proof that cutting out fatty acids, food colourings or additives can help" with ADHD.


• Boys are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as girls, and more boys who have ADHD also have learning disorders than girls who have ADHD.


• Louisiana, Alabama and North Carolina are the U.S. states with the highest ADHD diagnosis rates — each has had about 15 percent of its under-18 population diagnosed with ADHD.