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In 2017, California began to review the science on food dyes and behavior. The CSPI requested me to send a collection of studies to them, which you can see here. Today they released their Final Report. The Report concludes that: … Continue reading
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Study Protocol. BioMed Central Ltd. Psychiatry. 20: 262 This study has not yet happened. It is intended to compare two dietary treatments (an elimination diet and a “healthy” diet) and “Care As Usual” (medication). It is being done in the … Continue reading
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Journal of Pediatric Neurology & Neuroscience. 4(1), 55-72. Case Report. This study was funded by the International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM) in response to the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which became concerned … Continue reading
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Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 55(11). 1244-1250. In this study in Denmark, similar to the Zoega et al (2012) study in Iceland, the authors wanted to see if the younger children were more at risk of being prescribed ADHD … Continue reading
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Pediatrics, 130(6); 1012-1018 In a nationwide population-based study, the authors observed the effect of relative age on whether the child was likely to perform adequately in class and on whether the child would be prescribed medication for ADHD. They found … Continue reading
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South African Family Practice,2020 Sep. 3; 62(1): e1-e8 This paper is about a survey of 79 parents of ADHD children aged 5 to 17, in South Africa. The authors report that 92.4% of the parents believed that “reducing sugar or … Continue reading
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Journal of Attention Disorders, 2011 Jul;15(5):403-11. Complete data, including diet and ADHD diagnoses, were obtined on 1,172 adolescents (14 year olds) from the Raine Study which had been following children from birth. The authors noted that the “Western” dietary pattern … Continue reading
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Nutritional Neuroscience, 2020 Sep 4:1-9 In a large group of children followed from birth, data on diet and behavior were obtained on 535 children at both 4 and 6 years old. The foodsinvestigated were divided into four basic groups: Sweet: … Continue reading
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European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2018; 72 (11):1517-1523. The authors studied several eating patterns among Chinese children. While the “processed,” “snack,” and “beverage” dietary patterns were all positively associated with ADHD symptoms, the “vegetarian” (more natural) dietary pattern was … Continue reading
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Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 53 (2020) This paper is a meta-analysis of seven studies considering sugar consumption and ADHD. The authors concluded there is a “positive relationship between overall sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and symptoms of ADHD.” The authors … Continue reading
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Frontiers in Psychiatry, August 2020, Volume 11, 730, pp. 1-12 An oligoantigenic diet is a few-foods diet, used sometimes to identify foods a child may be allergic to. It excludes all the food dyes, preservatives, and other additives, as well … Continue reading
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Kirkland AE, Langan MT, & Holton KF, Nutritional Neuroscience (2020), DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2020.1730614 Although this is a small pilot study, and the first to consider young adults, it indicates that food dyes may affect both brainwave activity and ADHD symptoms in … Continue reading
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Healthline Media claims to be “creating a stronger healthier world” by providing “clear, credible, evidence-based health and wellness information that’s distinguished by its compassion for the human experience.” One of its most recent articles, dated September 29, 2020, is failing … Continue reading
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Feingold diet is worth testing, panel says American Medical News (newsletter of the American Medical Association)January 29, 1982, page 23.
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Just finished: a compilation of all the studies I can find on the food dyes used in the US and their connection with behavior and health. Download here(190 pages) This project was created to help the California Office of Environmental … Continue reading
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Integrative Food, Nutrition and Metabolism, 2018, 5(4): 1-2 This editorial explores possible nutritional reasons for the huge difference between the United States and the United Kingdom in numbers of children diagnosed with ADHD or autism. After two separate studies in … Continue reading
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Scientific Reports, 2018 Jan 15;8(1):788. 17 studies on iron and ADHD were analyzed by Tseng et al in Taiwan. Iron does more than prevent anemia; besides helping in homeostatis of the hemoglobin (red blood cell) structure, iron is important to the … Continue reading
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European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Sep;26(9): 1067-1079 In her review of the research, Dr. Ly discusses the use of elimination diets for ADHD and autism from the point of view of the interaction of the metabolic, immune, endocrine, and neural … Continue reading
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Pediatrics, 2017 Jan 30. pii: e20162027 This study took place in Spain, where families have a long tradition of eating the Mediterranean diet. As diets today veer away from traditional healthful foods towards junk food, candies and convenience foods, behavior … Continue reading
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Environmental Health, Feb 27;14:17. doi: 10.1186/s12940-015-0003-1. The authors comment that while environmental factors known to increase the risk of ADHD include exposure to manganese, poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), nicotine, mercury, arsenic, food additives, food coloring, pesticides and lead, almost no attention … Continue reading
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PLoS One. 2014 Oct 22;9(10): e110509. If you must handle thermal receipts, don’t use sanitizers or hand lotion – both often contain chemicals that will encourage the BPA to slide right through your skin. In the experiment described in this … Continue reading
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Annals of General Psychiatry (2015) March 1; 14:12 This was a study on children with ADHD who were already receiving Ritalin therapy, to see if improving their diet in general might make a difference. The children were divided into two … Continue reading
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Journal of Attention Disorders, Vol. 3(1): 30-48 (1999) This review of “alternative” treatments was undertaken for the National Institute of Health (NIH) 1998 Consensus Development Conference on ADHD. 23 such treatments were identified. Some were considered effective or possibly effective … Continue reading
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Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2012 Jan; 51(1): 86–97.e8. This meta-analysis of 24 published studies on food colors, plus 10 more on dietary restriction, concluded that a restriction diet (e.g., the Feingold diet or an … Continue reading
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Pediatric Nursing. 2007 Mar-Apr; 33(2): 138-43. This review is intended to help nurses support parents who want to try various therapeutic diets such as the Feingold diet, oligoantigenic (few foods) diet, or gluten-free, casein-free diet for their children. The nurses … Continue reading
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Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 1997 June; 33(3): 190-4. The author summarizes and discusses the research from the 1970s up until the 1990s. She emphasizes that studies often only can deal with a single item but in actuality there … Continue reading
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Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2003 March; 28(1): 63-75. In this paper, Schnoll reviews the research on food additives, refined sugars, food allergies, and fatty acid metabolism as it relates to ADHD. QUOTE: “Although clinicians and researchers alike acknowledge the complex … Continue reading
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Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny. 2012;63(2): 127-34 In this review of ADHD treatments, Konikowska describes hyperactivity as a genetic trait connected to abnormal brain maturation, likely related to less activity by neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. While stimulant medications effectively increase the … Continue reading
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The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2016 Sep 30. doi: 10.1177/0004867416670013 The researchers analyzed the records of 1,233 infants, whose parents filled out an ADHD questionnaire when the child was a little less than 3 years old. They … Continue reading
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Prenatal Diagnosis. 2016, Sep 29. doi: 10.1002/pd.4932 Edlow reviews the current animal and human research showing a connection between maternal (and sometimes paternal) obesity and high fat diets on neuro-developmental and psychiatric disorders in the offspring. These disorders include cognitive … Continue reading
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Life Sciences. 1980 Nov 17;27(20):1897-904. In this study, some rats were treated with 6-OHDA and some were treated with placebo. In each of these groups, some were given food dyes and some were given placebo, resulting in 4 groups of … Continue reading
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Journal of Attention Disorders. 2010 Jun 23. In Norway, the Prescription Database contains information on all prescription drugs dispensed since 2001, which creates a unique opportunity to address the issue of whether the diagnoses of ADHD and asthma are associated … Continue reading
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2016 July 4;13(7). pii: E678. In this study of Taiwanese children, a strong correlation was found between amount of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumed per day and ADHD. A dose-response effect was observed, … Continue reading
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Annual Review of Public Health, 2015 Mar 18;36:211-30. The objective of this review is to provide an overview on the population impact of toxins on the developing brain and describe implications for public health. QUOTE: “The blood–brain barrier of the … Continue reading
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Physiology & Behavior, 135 (2014), 174-179. SULT1A inhibitors in foods, including natural substances and artificial food colors, have a role in ADHD that can both worsen or improve symptoms. … SULT1A inhibition can influence brain catecholamines through the intermediary of … Continue reading
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Pharmacological Research, 1999. Sep;40 (3):211-25 DHA and EPA are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. This review lists the many benefits of these as well as the effects of a deficiency in both infants and adults. QUOTE: “… deficiencies of DHA are … Continue reading
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Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science, 1998, Jan-Mar;33(1):49-60 This was a small study of 17 children, some on medications and some not. During the study, some of those on medication had their meds reduced by half and some did not. For … Continue reading
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Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2015. 21 Suppl 1:52-62. During the past 50 years, the amount of synthetic dye used in foods has increased by 500%. At the same time, there has been an alarming rise in behavioral problems … Continue reading
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Acta Alimentaria, 43(2), 344-359. QUOTE: “Given that it is now well-known that autistic patients tend to be PST-deficient, causal link between a low-salicylate diet and the mitigation of symptom-severity seems a rather plausible hypothesis.” QUOTE: “It is quite apparent from … Continue reading
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Clinical Pediatrics, 2014. Feb; 53(2): 133-40. The amount of food dyes certified over the years has increased more than 5-fold since 1950 (12 mg/capita/day) to 2012 (68 mg/capita/day). Studies that used 50 mg or more of food dyes showed a … Continue reading
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Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 2014 May;55(5):416-27. The author compares 3 kinds of studies for treatment of ADHD – restricted elimination diets (RED), artificial food colour elimination (AFCE), and essential fatty acid (e.g. fish oil) supplements (SFFA). He concludes … Continue reading
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European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2014 Jul;23(7):519-29. Verlaet discusses the common causes of GI problems, asthma, eczema, ear infections, and ADHD – involving both genes, immunity, and inflammation. An immune imbalance can be related to food provoking ADHD-like behavior. Food … Continue reading
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The Medical Journal of Australia, 2013. Jun 17; 198(11): 600-2. Gray was treating patients who had tried the low-salicylate diet (called the FAILSAFE diet) used in Australia, which is more restrictive than the Feingold diet, eliminating both more of the … Continue reading
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American Journal of Psychiatry, 2013. March. 170(3): 275-89. This paper is a review of dietary and psychological treatments for ADHD. QUOTE (Conclusion): “Free fatty acid supplementation and artificial food color exclusions appear to have beneficial effects on ADHD symptoms, although … Continue reading
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Nutrition Review, 2013 May;71(5):268-81. Stevens reviews the research on mechanisms by which food dyes and common foods may cause behavioral changes in children with and without ADHD. The three potential mechanisms are toxicological, antinutritional, and hypersensitivity. Suggestions for future studies … Continue reading
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Neurotherapeutics. 2012 Jul;9(3):599-609. Arnold reviews the history of the effects of artificial food colors (AFC) on ADHD and the testimony to the 2011 FDA Food Advisory Committee. Arnold discusses possible biological mechanisms such as the effects of food dyes on … Continue reading
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Pediatrics, 2012 Feb;129(2): 330-7. Millichap says his article is a comprehensive overview of the role of diet for treatment of children with ADHD “when pharmacotherapy has proven unsatisfactory or unacceptable.” He promises to talk about new research. Unfortunately, he falls … Continue reading
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Lebanese American University, Masters Thesis 2012 In a project for her Masters Degree in Education, Linda Saab performed a case study on a 9 year old boy in Beirut who was diagnosed with ADHD. Although he was observed for 5 … Continue reading
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Environmental Health Perspectives, 2012 Jan;120(1):1-5. Dr. Weiss examines the basis of the FDA’s position on food dyes, the decision of the Food Advisory Committee, and the reasons that this is an environmental health issue He points out that they limited … Continue reading
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European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2011. 20 (9), 431-2. Concerned about the enormous increase in use of psychostimulant drugs such as Ritalin, the authors of this editorial discuss the research supporting the use of other options. In particular, they find … Continue reading
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Journal of American Science, 2011; 7 (6): 1211-1218. This paper from Egypt describes a double-blind controlled study on rats to determine the behavioral effects of long-term exposure to various doses of tartrazine (E102, Yellow 5) provided in the drinking water … Continue reading
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The Lancet, 2011. Feb 5;377 (9764): 494-503 This is a study of 100 children diagnosed with ADHD but not selected on any basis of expectation of a dietary effect. The children were randomly assigned to an experimental diet group and … Continue reading
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Clinical Pediatrics (Phila), 2011. Apr; 50(4): 279-93. In their review of the literature, Stevens et al conclude that the evidence indicates that a diet free of food dyes is appropriate for “children who have not responded satisfactorily to conventional treatment, … Continue reading
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European Journal of Pediatrics, 2010 Sep;169(9): 1129-38. The 27 children in the Pelsser 2009 study were also evaluated for the effect of their diet condition on their sleep problems and other physical complaints. Such complaints included headaches, bellyaches, unusual thirst, … Continue reading
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American Journal of Psychiatry. 2010 Sep;167(9): 1108-15 Stevenson analyzed the reactions of children in the McCann (2007) study to see why not all children react to additives in the same way. He found that variation in several genes that control … Continue reading
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European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009 Jan;18(1):12-9. In a randomized controlled trial in the Netherlands, 27 children were assigned either to an elimination diet or to a “waiting list” control group for 5 weeks, beginning after a 2-week “baseline” diet … Continue reading
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Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2008. Jan-Feb; 14(1): 79-85. This is a review of literature available in 2008. The authors say many of the studies link exposure to toxins such as mercury, lead, and pesticides, as well as prenatal … Continue reading
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Lancet, September 6, 2007 As a followup to the earlier Bateman (2004) study, the authors retested 153 toddlers as well as 144 elementary school (8/9 years old) children from the general population. They were briefly put on a dye-free … Continue reading
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American Journal of Public Health, 2006. Oct;96(10):1815-20 The authors surveyed almost 5,500 students in 10th grade to see how many sugar-containing soft drinks they consumed per day and to assess their mental health and conduct. AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: “High consumption levels … Continue reading
