| Relatively unknown just two decades ago | | | | |
| (although discussion of the disorder has | | | | Diet after weaning |
| occurred in medical circles for over half a | | | | |
| century) Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity | | | | The symptoms of ADHD tend to show up during |
| Disorder awareness is critical in the lives | | | | the preschool years, and they can be |
| of those who make a career out of working | | | | aggravated by certain type of diets. Many |
| with children. Teachers, child psychologists, | | | | children are ingesting too much sugar and |
| counsellors, and others are all given at | | | | caffeine in their diets today in the form of |
| least some exposure to the symptoms and | | | | "easy" and junk food, and of course these |
| solutions of the disorder. | | | | ingredients will cause a reaction of |
| | | | hyperactivity in children without the |
| The people most affected by ADHD, of course, | | | | disorder. The reaction is far greater in |
| are the children with the disorder and their | | | | children with ADHD. |
| parents. An ADHD diagnosis is the first step | | | | |
| towards the general improvement of many areas | | | | The Feingold Program is a diet which has not |
| in the lives of someone with this condition, | | | | been positively proven to alleviate ADHD |
| and many people wonder just what role diet | | | | symptoms by science, but has been upheld both |
| plays as far as ADHD. | | | | by doctors and parents who work with ADHD |
| | | | afflicted children. This diet essentially |
| Before we get into some specific areas, it is | | | | takes out any unnatural food products in a |
| important to note that scientific research | | | | nutrition regime, including artificial |
| has never positively linked any diet to the | | | | coloring and sweeteners, flavours, and |
| direct causes or symptoms of ADHD. Most of | | | | preservatives. |
| the work in this area remains theoretical. | | | | |
| | | | ADHD is largely a disorder whose origins are |
| Diet of the pregnant mother | | | | not fully known. The nutrition of the ADHD |
| | | | positive child is important, but has not yet |
| The first area where nutrition may come into | | | | proven to be linked to the actual development |
| play as far as the development of ADHD is | | | | of the condition. Still, watching the |
| when the fetus is in the womb. The probable | | | | nutrition a child with ADHD takes in may mean |
| links to ADHD development here include the | | | | that the symptoms of the disorder are not as |
| usual suspects such as caffeine, alcohol, | | | | acute. |
| nicotine, and other types of drugs. | | | | |