1d • Food
ADHD and Food Choices
What is your experience?
ADHD is often treated with medication or behavioral therapy, but a major study suggests that diet alone can have a powerful effect. Researchers found that when processed foods were removed from children’s diets, ADHD symptoms dropped by 53 percent.
Processed foods include items high in sugar, artificial colors, preservatives, and additives. These compounds can affect neurotransmitter activity, gut health, and inflammation, all of which play a role in attention, impulse control, and mood regulation. By eliminating these foods, the brain can function more efficiently, leading to noticeable improvements in behavior.
Importantly, this approach is not about restriction or punishment. Families who replaced processed snacks with whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins reported calmer behavior, better focus, and improved overall health. Repeated exposure to natural, nutrient-rich foods supports both brain and body development.
While medication and therapy still have their place, this study underscores the importance of considering diet as a first-line intervention. Making small, consistent changes in what children eat can have profound effects, helping them regulate attention, mood, and behavior.
1. INCA Randomized Controlled Trial (restricted elimination diet)
Link to PubMed entry:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21296237/ — Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with ADHD (INCA study) 
This study tested a highly controlled elimination diet in 4-8-year-olds with ADHD and found significant symptom reduction compared to controls. 
2. Earlier RCT on elimination diet
Link to PubMed entry:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18431534/ — A randomized controlled trial into the effects of an elimination diet on ADHD symptoms 
Shows significant improvement in many children on an elimination diet vs waiting-list controls. 
3. Oligoantigenic Diet Trial (identifying food sensitivities)
Link to PubMed entry:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34444758/ — Individual Behavioral Reactions before and after an Oligoantigenic Diet in ADHD
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ADHD and Food Choices
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