news-date">19.08.2022
An American study suggests that a diet high in fruit and vegetables ADHD– May reduce symptoms such as attention problems.
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As part of a larger study, the researchers asked parents of 134 children with ADHD symptoms to complete a detailed questionnaire about their children’s diets over a 90-day period, including which foods, portion sizes, and foods the children ate.
In another questionnaire, parents were asked to rate their children’s attention problems – a hallmark of ADHD – such as: B. Difficulty staying focused, following directions, remembering things, and regulating emotions.
The results showed that children who consumed more fruits and vegetables showed fewer attention problems, reported Ass. Prof. Dr. Irene Hatsu, co-author from Ohio State University.
“Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be a way to reduce some of the symptoms of ADHD,” Hatsu concluded.
The study was published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.
The data for this research came from the MADDY (Micronutrients for ADHD in Youth) study, which evaluated the effectiveness of a 36-ingredient vitamin and mineral supplement for treating symptoms of ADHD and poor emotional control in 134 children ages 6 to 12 years was examined.
The study, which evaluated the effectiveness of the dietary supplement, showed that in children with ADHD and problems with emotional control (emotional dysregulation), the micronutrients led to a significant improvement three times more compared to children who took a placebo. This study was published last year in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Another study of the same children, published earlier this year in Nutrients magazine, found that children whose families struggled with healthy eating were more likely than other children to have more severe symptoms of emotional dysregulation day, such as chronic irritability and outbursts of anger.
Three studies point to the positive effects of a healthy diet
The three studies all painted a similar picture, Hatsu commented: A healthy diet that provides all the nutrients children need can help reduce the symptoms of ADHD in children.
“Our studies suggest that it is worth checking children’s access to food and the quality of their diet […].“
Why can diet help with ADHD?
Researchers believe ADHD is linked to low levels of some neurotransmitters in the brain — and vitamins and minerals played a key role as cofactors in helping the body make these important neurochemicals and in overall brain function, Hatsu pointed out.
The MADDY study is one of the first to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms and the quality of the diet children receive in the United States and Canada, Hatsu added.
That’s important because Western diets — unlike, say, the Mediterranean diet — tend not to include enough fruits and vegetables, she said.
Sources: Newswise, Ohio State University, Nutritional Neuroscience, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Nutrients