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HyperactivityWhat you need to know:Any parent who has had a hyperactive child, any teacher who has had one in the classroom, any brother or sister whose sibling has or had the condition will know how draining, frustrating, exhausting and worrying it is. There never seems a moment of silence or a night of peaceful sleep, you’re constantly on the go chasing after them in case they injure themselves or forever on the watch to see that they don’t start damaging the home or fighting with the few little friends they have left.At school they’re likely to be labelled difficult and disruptive. They can’t concentrate for long, so they don’t keep up with the lessons. Soon they’re near the bottom of the class and being teased or bullied in the playground. So their frustration - and behaviour gets worse. Possibly the saddest thing about hyperactivity - or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder as it’s now known - is that the child often knows that he or she is being ‘naughty’. In their calm times, they’re affectionate and apologetic - but then the drama starts again. Until quite recently, hyperactive children were regarded as behaviourally disturbed. It was an American scientist in the 1960s who was studying allergies to fleabites who came up with a possible answer. Dietary changes that may be beneficial:He discovered that putting children with severe allergies on diets free of chemicals called salicylates - similar to the chemicals produced by fleas - not only made their reaction to the fleas less pronounced, but also improved their behaviour.He then went on to study the chemicals used as artificial food additives and found that many of them were salicylates and that, together with natural salicylates in some food, excluding them from the diet could be the answer for many kids. It’s also worth noting here that food additives can also be the trigger for asthma attacks, eczema and urticaria. The diet he devised is rather complicated and you would certainly need a registered naturopath to give you all the details on which foods to exclude and when and how to reintroduce them and track whether they’re the ones causing problems. It basically prohibits any food with additives, especially the yellow colouring tartrazine (E102). Unfortunately, many children’s favourites - like burgers, commercially made ice cream, sweets, milk shakes and fizzy drinks - are banned, too. Also on the list of foods to avoid are, surprisingly, many types of fruit, including berries, grapes and oranges. Sticking to the diet takes a great deal of commitment and your trips around the supermarket might go on rather longer than usual as you stop to inspect every food label. But this diet works for a great number of children - and just think of the family harmony and peaceful nights you can look forward to. Other useful advice:Recent research has shown that supplements of Evening primrose Oil can be very helpful. High levels of the toxic metal lead, have been found in the blood of children with behavioural and developmental problems. This is routinely checked in the USA but seldom in the UK. |
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