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 .
Relative effects of drugs and diet on hyperactive behaviors: an experimental study.
In a test of Feingold 's hypothesis that food additives trigger the hyperactive response , 26 hyperactive children were r and omly assigned to treatment conditions whereby they were given active or placebo medications in combination with challenge cookies with artificial food colors or control cookies without the additives . The children were crossed over into each of the four treatment conditions and experimental procedures were employed , including double-blind assessment s through the completion of behavior checklists , by teachers and parents . Stimulant medications were clearly more effective than diet in reducing hyperactive behavior . The parent ratings indicate strong drug effects and inconclusive diet effects . Drug effects are marked in teacher ratings as well . However , when the children were receiving placebos , their hyperactive behaviors in the classroom were greater when eating cookies with artificial colors than when eating cookies without artificial colors . According to the ratings , approximately seven children were no longer hyperactive . There is evidence to suggest that the behavior of three to eight children was diet-responsive , depending on the criteria used . There is evidence , particularly in teacher ratings , in support of Feingold 's hypothesis if it is modified . Further research is required to specify which subtypes of  hyperactive children respond to a diet free of artificial food colors
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 .