From the Guidelines
The study that found 72% of children with ADHD no longer met the criteria for ADHD after 3 months on an elimination diet does not appear to be supported by the provided evidence. However, a similar study, known as the INCA study, conducted by researchers in the Netherlands and published in 2011, found that approximately 100 children with ADHD were placed on a few-foods elimination diet, which removed specific foods that might trigger ADHD symptoms 1. After five weeks, about 64% of children showed significant improvement in their ADHD symptoms, to the point where they no longer met the full diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
Key Findings
- The elimination diet typically removed foods like wheat, dairy, eggs, and certain fruits.
- The diet worked by identifying and eliminating potential food sensitivities that may contribute to ADHD symptoms in some children.
- The researchers concluded that dietary intervention might be beneficial for some children with ADHD, though it's essential to note that this approach should be conducted under medical supervision as it's quite restrictive.
Clinical Implications
- The diet involves an elimination phase followed by a reintroduction phase to identify specific trigger foods for each child.
- This nutritional approach suggests that for some children, ADHD symptoms may be influenced by food sensitivities, though conventional medication remains the first-line treatment for most cases of ADHD, as supported by recent studies 1.
- In clinical practice, a comprehensive treatment approach, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, should be individualized to each patient's needs, taking into account their age, severity of symptoms, and individual circumstances.
From the Research
Study Details
- The study where 300 children with ADHD were placed on an elimination diet and after 3 months 72% no longer met the criteria for ADHD is not directly mentioned in the provided evidence.
- However, a similar study is described in the evidence with reference_id 2, which investigated the effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 2.
Key Findings
- The study 2 found that a strictly supervised restricted elimination diet can be a valuable instrument to assess whether ADHD is induced by food.
- The study 2 also found that after a 5-week restricted elimination diet, the difference between the diet group and the control group in the mean ADHD rating scale (ARS) total score was 23.7 (95% CI 18.6-28.8; p<0.0001) according to the masked ratings.
- Another study 3 found that elimination diets and fish oil supplementation seem to be the most promising dietary interventions for a reduction in ADHD symptoms in children, but more thorough investigations will be necessary to decide whether they are recommendable as part of ADHD treatment 3.
Dietary Interventions
- The evidence suggests that dietary interventions, such as elimination diets and supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, may be beneficial in reducing ADHD symptoms in children 3, 4, 5, 6.
- However, the evidence also highlights the need for more research to fully understand the effects of dietary interventions on ADHD symptoms and to determine the most effective dietary approaches 3, 5, 6.