Leaky Gut Syndrome Prevention Diet North Brunswick NJ

About Kid Diets and ADHD

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By Timothy Culbert, M.D.

Q: My eight-year-old son has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Is there any chance that changing his diet will make a difference?

A: There have been quite a few “gold standard” studies supporting the idea that for certain kids, dietary changes can be a big help.

One type of diet (known as oligo-antigenic) is fairly radical; it eliminates ingredients that are thought to provoke allergies, including dairy, gluten, refined sugars, dyes, preservatives, and additives. A theory as to why this might make a difference has to do with a phenomenon called leaky gut syndrome. Normally, the intestinal lining serves as a good filtering system for proteins like those that trigger allergies. But in some people, the gut seems to have a sort of “leak” that allows these proteins to get into the bloodstream. At that point the immune system reacts, and this can contribute to behavioral problems.

The pure form of this diet is very restrictive and can be difficult to stick to. It allows only two types of meat (lamb and turkey), two types of starches (rice and potatoes), two types of vegetables (cabbage and carrots), and two fruits (apples and bananas).

A more practical approach might be to test potentially troublesome foods one at a time. Eliminate dairy, say, for three weeks to see if any significant changes occur. For most people, this approach is pretty doable, and there’s very little downside to trying it.

As a general guideline, I’d also suggest giving the child unprocessed and organic foods, to avoid contributing any additional toxic load to the body.

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