Issues of Education

A review carried out at the University of Wales, Swansea and published in the May issue of the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition reports that food is not a major cause of hyperactivity in children. “Genetics, brain function and parental actions such as smoking may be just as important.” This review found that only a small number of children were affected by what they ate. They looked at table sugar where no adverse effects were seen in those children who ingested it.

“ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) has a strong genetic link, with half the children born of parents with diagnosed ADHD likely to develop the disorder themselves. Chemical imbalances in the brain are also involved and studies have found that children with the condition have on average 4% smaller brains. Genes may interact with environmental toxins such as alcohol in the womb, lead, and parental smoking to cause later problems with attention span.”

Professor David Benton carried out the study and said that sugar is not related to behavior changes in children. He does say that “foods like wheat and dairy can often cause food intolerance in children, but this is a completely different reaction of the immune system.”

Source: EurekaAlert.org

I wanted to comment that I noticed no comment in this article on the effects of food additives such as dyes and preservatives and their effect on children. Having a child who does react behaviorally to food dyes and knowing other children that do also I know for some of us it is a real problem. Eliminating the dyes solved the problem in my case but how many children are being medicated who might have fewer behavior problems by doing a food elimination diet under the care of a doctor.