Is There a Child Hyperactivity / Food Additive Connection?
Diet is a key factor that is often overlooked when a child is evaluated for attention and behavior problems. Yet, artificial food dyes and flavorings are known to cause behavioral and neurological reactions in sensitive children. If you pay close attention to the foods your child eats, you might notice that your child behaves differently after eating brightly colored cereals, soft drinks, candy or certain processed foods. These reactions are not always associated with a “sugar high” but instead, a sensitivity to the chemicals used in the culprit products. With child hyperactivity and food additive concerns, the only way to know for sure is to test the diet. The first step is to remove the most common allergenic foods and all food additive dyes and preservatives. If hyperactivity decreases after two to three weeks, slowly start adding foods back into the diet, one at a time. If an added food worsens your child’s hyperactivity, add it to the list of foods to avoid.
