ADHD diet: Do food additives cause hyperactivity?

The issue of whether food additives affect children's behavior has long been controversial. Some research suggests that artificial colorings and preservatives may be associated with hyperactivity in children. But an association is not the same as a proven "cause-effect" relationship. There is no proof that food additives cause attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is most likely due to a combination of changes in the structure of the brain and certain environmental factors.

However, a recent study funded by the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency is sure to throw more fuel on the heated debate about food additives and hyperactivity. Researchers tested 300 children between the ages of 3 and 9 years old. Results published in September 2007 showed varying degrees of hyperactive behavior in the children after they consumed fruit drinks containing a mixture of food colorings and preservatives. The additives assessed in the study included sodium benzoate, sunset yellow, carmoisine, ponceau 4R, tartrazine, quinoline yellow and allura red. The study was unable to determine which of the additives may have affected behavior because all of the children were given a mix.

In response to the study, the Food Standards Agency advised parents to monitor their children's activity and if parents noted marked changes with foods containing additives, to eliminate these foods from their children's diets. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued no similar warning.

If you think certain foods affect your child's behavior, try eliminating them for a time to see if it helps. However, diets that are too restrictive may result in nutritional deficiencies in growing children. So it's important to talk to your child's doctor before trying a dietary treatment approach to ADHD.