There is ongoing research and evidence that suggests diet may play a role in the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. While diet is not thought to be a primary cause of ADHD, it is thought to influence symptom severity and management.
Here’s another reason why kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should eat their fruits and vegetables: According to a new study, it may help reduce inattention issues. Researchers asked parents of 134 children with ADHD symptoms to complete a detailed questionnaire about the typical foods their children ate, including portion sizes, over a 90-day period as part of a larger study.
Another questionnaire asked parents to rate their children’s symptoms of inattention, which is a hallmark of ADHD, such as difficulty staying focused, not following instructions, difficulty remembering things, and difficulty regulating emotions. According to Irene Hatsu, co-author of the study and associate professor of human nutrition at The Ohio State University, children who consumed more fruits and vegetables had less severe symptoms of inattention.
“Eating a healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables, may be one way to reduce some of the symptoms of ADHD,” Hatsu explained. The study was recently published online in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.
Eating a healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables, may be one way to reduce some of the symptoms of ADHD. Our findings suggest that it is worthwhile to examine the children’s food access as well as the quality of their diet to see if it may be contributing to the severity of their symptoms.
Irene Hatsu
The data for this research was collected as part of the Micronutrients for ADHD in Youth (MADDY) Study, which examined the efficacy of a 36-ingredient vitamin and mineral supplement to treat symptoms of ADHD and poor emotional control in the 134 kids aged 6 to 12.
The study that evaluated the supplement’s effectiveness found that children who took the micronutrients were three times more likely than those who took a placebo to show significant improvement in their ADHD and emotional dysregulation symptoms. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry last year.
Another study involving the same children, published earlier this year in the journal Nutrients, found that children from food-insecure families were more likely to exhibit severe symptoms of emotional dysregulation, such as chronic irritability, angry moods, and outbursts of anger.
According to Hatsu, the three studies all paint a similar picture: A healthy diet that contains all of the nutrients that children require can aid in the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children.
“What clinicians usually do when kids with ADHD start having more severe symptoms is either increase the dose of their treatment medication, if they are on one, or put them on medication,” Hatsu explained. “Our findings suggest that it is worthwhile to examine the children’s food access as well as the quality of their diet to see if it may be contributing to the severity of their symptoms.”
Children in the MADDY study were recruited from three different locations: Columbus, Ohio; Portland, Oregon; and Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. The study took place between 2018 and 2020. Participants were either not taking medication or stopped using it two weeks before the study began.
The studies on fruit and vegetable intake and the role of food insecurity were based on data collected when the children were first enrolled in the study, before they began taking the micronutrient supplement or placebo.
Why may diet be so important in ADHD?
According to Hatsu, researchers believe that ADHD is linked to low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, and vitamins and minerals play an important role as cofactors in helping the body make those important neurochemicals and in overall brain function.
Food insecurity may also play a role.
“Everyone gets irritated when they’re hungry, and children with ADHD are no exception.” “If they’re not getting enough food, it could aggravate their symptoms,” she explained. Furthermore, the stress of parents who are upset about not being able to provide enough food for their children can cause family tension, which can lead to increased symptoms in children with ADHD.
According to Hatsu, the MADDY study is one of the first to look at the relationship between ADHD symptoms and diet quality in children in the United States and Canada. This is significant because Western diets, unlike many others, such as the Mediterranean diet, are more likely to fall short on fruit and vegetable intake, according to her.
“We believe that clinicians should assess the food security status of children with ADHD before creating or changing a treatment program,” Hatsu said. “Some symptoms may be manageable by assisting families in becoming more food secure and capable of providing a healthier diet.”
