Does taking sugar away from a child help with adhd?

Question

MY SON IN LAW THINKS MY 10 YEAR OLD GRANDSON HAS ADHD AND HIS MOTHER SUGGESTED TAKING SUGAR AWAY. WILL THIS HELP?

Answer 1

sugar , aspartame and MSG , MSG has been linked to ADD and ADHD along with several other problems, including MS. Aspartame has been linked to MS and Gulf War Syndrome.

Strange how as the use of more food preservatives and flavor enhancers has created the ADD and ADHD syndromes,as they didn't exist 30 or35 years ago.

Answer 2

Taking sugar out of a child's diet, even if that child has ADD/ADHD, will make some differences. The child will not have the blood sugar spikes through out the day and will therefore be more even tempered & able to focus.

However, a child with ADD/ADHD will need more than a modified diet to be focused and on task during the day.

Your daughter & son in law should meet with a child psychatrist and/or a pediatric nutritionist to discuss what options may work for their child besides medication if that is the route that they are looking to go.

Answer 3

Yes, yes, yes. He should see a doctor however in working with ADD and ADHD children, diet plays a tremendous role. Think of it this way: you are really tired, couldn't sleep at all the night before but you have to go to work so you drink 3 cups of coffee, and eat 2 donuts that were in the breakroom. You have a few productive hours and then all of the sudden you feel horrible, possibly worse than when you first got to work. As adults we can rationalize what is happening, so you may think, "I feel like crap and it is because I did not get enough sleep and the caffeine must have helped get some work done and now my body feels like it is crashing-oh, those 2 donuts. I should probably drink some water, eat a salad for dinner and go to bed early tonight." A child does not have the ability to reason at this level. These children need structure, a good nights rest, and healthy diets before and then to accompany any medication that a doctor may prescribe.

Answer 4

Limiting sugar is a good thing no matter if the child has ADHD or not. ADHD in some can be controlled by eliminating red dye (in most processed food) and limiting sugar. Also making sure the child has plenty of rest and an organized schedule.

Answer 5

Absolutely, read about it on the web. Look it up and see that it can make a tremendous difference in their behavior. Cutting out certain preservatives and other non necessary junk food can also make things more easy. As you are well aware, ADHD is a very complicated condition and anything you can do to make it more manageable is to be considered. The child does not need the sugar; in fact, he will benefit from doing without it.

Answer 6

It could help, but there are also a lot of preservatives and colourings in food which have been thought to make ADHD worse. Some breads are absolutely a no-go for kids with ADHD. Try these websites below and see if that helps for any. Good luck.

Answer 7

I have 2 kids one has adhd and the other one don't I have found it better to cut down on sugar during school.

Answer 8

There are a lot of things that can affect a childs behavior. White sugar, White flour, MSG, dyes, and other preservatives are usually the main culprits. You need to monitor behavior after certain things are eaten to determine what they may be sensitive to. ie: My son, within 20 minutes of eating Ramen noodle soup, or downing a soda, cannot physically sit still. He is figety. The Culprits Sugar, and MSG! There is a book called "Beating the food giants" which might be helful to you. I cannot remember the name of the author, but it does shed light on a lot of the additives in our foods, and how they affect the brain. You'd be amazed to learn that many of them are as bad as cocaine! While I do believe that food additives are one of the main causes of behaviorial problems, I do also believe that adhd does exist. It is just over diagnosed. It can't hurt you to try to ommit these additives one by one to see if it works before you start making him pop pills, and label him. Good luck!

Answer 9

some Dr's do believe that diet can greatly effect how a child behaves with adhd. some people use a diet rather than meds. it is very specific and needs to be made with a Dr. its more than taking sugar away. Ive seen it work!

Answer 10

No. Sugar itself does not hype kids it is the colours that are with the sugar. If it really ADHD then just cutting sugar will not help. Invest in this book it is suppose to be great

Answer 11

ADHD cannot be controlled by limiting sugar. If the child really does have this problem then he needs to be checked out by a dr. If he is getting that much sugar that they are in question that it needs to be taken away then I would say he is getting way too much sugar. Think about his diet and teeth also.