Free fatty acid supplementation produced small but significant reductions in ADHD symptoms even with probably blinded assessment s , although the clinical significance of these effects remains to be determined .
Artificial food color exclusion produced larger effects but often in individuals selected for food sensitivities .
OBJECTIVE Nonpharmacological treatments are available for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) , although their efficacy remains uncertain .
The authors undertook meta-analyses of the efficacy of dietary ( restricted elimination diets , artificial food color exclusions , and free fatty acid supplementation ) and psychological ( cognitive training , neurofeedback , and behavioral interventions ) ADHD treatments .
Effects of a few food diet in attention deficit disorder.
Seventy-eight children , referred to a diet clinic because of hyperactive behaviour , were placed on a ' few foods ' elimination diet . Fifty nine improved in behaviour during this open trial . For 19 of these children it was possible to disguise foods or additives , or both , that reliably provoked behavioural problems by mixing them with other tolerated foods and to test their effect in a placebo controlled double blind challenge protocol . The results of a crossover trial on these 19 children showed a significant effect for the provoking foods to worsen ratings of behaviour and to impair psychological test performance . This study shows that observations of change in behaviour associated with diet made by parents and other people with a role in the child 's care can be reproduced using double blind methodology and objective assessment s. Clinicians should give weight to the accounts of parents and consider this treatment in selected children with a suggestive medical history
Free fatty acid supplementation produced small but significant reductions in ADHD symptoms even with probably blinded assessment s , although the clinical significance of these effects remains to be determined .
Artificial food color exclusion produced larger effects but often in individuals selected for food sensitivities .
OBJECTIVE Nonpharmacological treatments are available for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) , although their efficacy remains uncertain .
The authors undertook meta-analyses of the efficacy of dietary ( restricted elimination diets , artificial food color exclusions , and free fatty acid supplementation ) and psychological ( cognitive training , neurofeedback , and behavioral interventions ) ADHD treatments .