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Dietary measures for hyperactive children
Some months ago, you mentioned not giving oranges, apples, and tomatoes to “hyperactive” children. Can you explain why these foods should be avoided and suggest any other dietary measures that could help my three-year-old son who is very bright but who will not sit still for more than a few seconds.
New research suggests behavioural problems and learning difficulties may be linked back to an underlying inability to convert essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the diet into the highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) which are crucial to healthy brain functioning and thus, behaviour and performance. The reason you need to remove the above foods from your son’s diet is that they contain substances called salicylates which can exacerbate this problem by displacing those essential fatty acids present in the diet.
One reason essential fatty acids are so crucial to behaviour and learning is that the membranes of the brain cells are made up of phospholipids, composed themselves of fatty acids. The more unsaturated those fatty acids are, the more fluid the membrane and thus, the more effectively those brain cells can communicate with each other.
So, if you do nothing else, you should supplement your son’s diet with a high dose (1g/2 tablespoons a day) of a liquid supplement of essential fatty acids, either from an unpolluted fish source or, if you prefer vegetarian, from flaxseed oils. If he hates the taste, hide the oil in tomato ketchup or salad dressings and remember, since clinical trials show it can take three months before you see any significant improvements, you will need to be patient.
*Parents concerned about behavioural disorders should contact NS3UK - a nutritional organisation which has a special interest in this field and which trains practitioners. For details, call 01344-360033 or visit the website at www.ns3.co.uk.