Diet Tips for ADHD Children

Only you, your family, and your doctor can determine the best way to deal with children who have ADHD. But with these top six nutritional tips you may be able to give your child the edge that they need to concentrate and focus more easily and succeed in school.

Top six diet tips for kids with ADHD

* Go organic: Starting when they're infants, feed your children organic whole foods. You can buy prepared organic baby food or, if that's too expensive make your own. Organic foods bypass the pesticides, additives, and toxins that impair concentration and increase hyperactivity in some children.

* Avoid high-mercury fish: Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury, which can zap kids' ability to think and concentrate. For children, these potential side effects occur with much lower levels of exposure than for adults. Kids with ADHD should avoid high mercury fish. That includes shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.

Follow up:

* Test for gluten sensitivity: In the general population, only 1% of people are sensitive to gluten. But it has been found that the percentage is much higher in children with ADHD. Your family doctor can check for gluten sensitivity with a blood test. If your child is gluten-sensitive, removing gluten from their diet can produce dramatic and almost immediate results. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, and barley.

* Add DHA supplements: It has been shown that ADHD is much more common in boys with low levels of DHA, an omega-3 essential fatty acid that plays a key role in brain function. Check with your family doctor and see if they will recommends DHA supplements derived from marine algae. For kids with ADHD, it is recommended that 400 mg per day is sufficient.

* Add multi-vitamins: According to studies all children should take a multivitamin, but it is especially important for kids with ADHD. Check with your doctor and ask about an Intracellular Vitamin Analysis - to get a better idea of exactly which vitamins and minerals your child might need to supplement.

* Consider other brain-specific nutrients: There are five supplements (besides DHA) found to be a foundation of the ADHD diet: N-acetyl-cysteine, Phosphatidylserine, Alpha lipoic acid, Coenzyme Q-10, and Ginkgo Biloba. All five have been clinically proven to protect the brain and enhance brain function, and there has had great success with them these within ADHD children.