Dyslexia and Diet

Dyslexia and ADD or ADHD

As part of our research program, Direct Learning examined the assessments of 100 dyslexic children and found that 46 of them were also reported to be suffering from Attention Deficit difficulties (ADD or ADHD) such as lack of concentration, behavior problems and/or allergic reactions to certain foods/drinks.

Children and teenagers suffering from Attention Deficit Disorders find it hard to stay focused on the main thing they are dealing with: their brain finds it almost impossible at times to resist paying attention to something else which is of no importance: for example, someone walking across the room, another child dropping their pencil, a car passing outside.

This is due to the working of the 'filters' in the brain which help us to prioritise and concentrate on one thing. The result can be difficulty sustaining attention, difficulty listening, a struggle to follow through instructions, difficulty with organization, avoiding activities requiring sustained mental effort, and being easily distracted and forgetful.

ADD or ADHD are caused by hereditary factors in the majority of cases, but may also be brought about by premature birth or by smoking or excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The importance of dietary control

Parents whose dyslexic children experience these difficulties will be aware of the importance of dietary control.

Children with any degree of Attention Deficit are particularly prone to reactions against certain foods that make them speedy and unable to calmly get on with their work.

Most notable of these are Cola drinks, chocolate, sweets and orange juice (fresh) or squash, aspartame (sweetener used in 'Diet' drinks), as well as foods which contain additives, such as crisps, foods and drinks with colorings, 'party' foods and some throat lozenges.

Your child may react to some foods and drinks

Every child is different, and your child may react to some foods, drinks, or candy/sweets that other children are not affected by.

It is usually easy to tell, as you will see your child becoming 'speedy', 'hyper' or overactive after eating certain food.

At school he will find it very hard to concentrate and work calmly in this state, and at home he may become a bit hyperactive.

Unfortunately, these tastes are quite addictive, and it can take quite a while to wean a child off them and onto additive-free foods such as fruit, salads and fresh, cooked vegetables.

However, after a while his taste for food with additives will be reduced, and you should notice a big improvement in his ability to remain calm and attentive.

Omega 3

Some experts have found that children's concentration improves greatly if they are given Omega 3 supplements (fish oils like cod liver oil) daily, though the effect is not noticeable for a few weeks.

Iron deficiency

Iron deficiency has also been linked to Attention Deficit. Whilst parents should be aware that too much iron in the system can be damaging, it may be worthwhile asking your doctor to check your child's iron level in the blood in case a diet change or supplements may be helpful.

Too much sugar

A double-blind study of dyslexic children found that a diet high in sugar caused more erratic eye movements than a sugar-free diet. Researchers at Yale University gave 25 healthy children a drink containing the equivalent amount of glucose found in a can of Fanta. The children's adrenalin was raised to over five times their normal level for up to five hours afterwards. Most of these children had difficulty concentrating and were anxious and irritable.

A sensible alternative to sugary drinks is plenty of fruit each day.

Orange Juice

Some children react badly to drinking orange juice. This affects their ability to stay calm and to concentrate. Apple juice or cranberry juice can be an alternative sourse of vitamins.

Zinc Makes You Think

Researchers in North Dakota gave 200 school children in the 7th grade zinc supplements. They found that the children taking 200 mg of zinc each day had faster and more accurate memories and better attention spans within three months.

The parents' example

Recent research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (2005) found that parents who provide a good example by eating a helathy diet themselves, with plenty of vegetables, fruit, etc., are more effective in changing their child's eating habits than parents who simply teach their child about healthy eating.

John Bradford
Direct Learning
February 2008.

Learning Difficulties and Diet

I have long been aware of the importance of diet and good health. I was first made aware of this connection in the writings of Linus Pauling and his theory of a high vitamin C intake in promoting good health. There is a growing belief that children with learning difficulties can benefit from dietary changes. I was sceptical of these claims, but more recently while watching a film, a drama documentary, called ‘Lorenzo’s Oil’ I realised that there might be truth in this assertion. The film made me aware of the importance of diet to facilitate cognitive development and its healthy functioning.

The question which occurred to me was that the intake of vitamins and minerals is a variable factor in an individual's diet. For most of us the recommended daily intake is sufficient for our needs. It may be that some people such as LD pupils might need more than is commonly thought essential. Maybe the food they eat only gives them the dosage dieticians believe is necessary but they may need more than this. Fish may be a food they need to eat more of.

It has long been a truth held by nanny that eating fish is good for the brain. I subscribe to this partly because I like eating fish cuisine. I like it better if there is a plate of chips as well!

Years ago a daily spoonful of cod liver oil was given to young children because it was believed that it helped to made them strong and healthy. I remember that it was not a pleasure to have this daily dose of goodness!

There is much circumstantial evidence that a balanced diet can be beneficial in staying healthy. A recent study by Kellogg’s showed that children who attended school breakfast clubs and had a decent meal before school started were found to concentration better in class. An improvement in mental ability has also been found in eating fish. People who do not normally eat fish report that after introducing fish into their diet they feel more mentally alert. The reason why this is so is not immediately known. None-the-less I have a theory.

LD children may need more than the daily-recommended intake of fatty acids. Not having enough of this substance may cause brain functioning to be less efficient, particularly in the area of memory. This might be one of the reasons why short-term memory is a problem for LD pupils.

Now it seems there is proof that eating fish is good for the LD student. This is the finding of research conducted by Oxford University and the Imperial College School of Medicine. LD children significantly improved their mental abilities after eating mackerel, salmon and tuna fish. The fatty acids found in these fish are thought to be the reason for the improvement. The findings would suggest that deficiencies in fatty acids might cause learning disorders. If this belief is correct then the problem is a metabolic rather than a neurological one.

This is only one of several studies, which have researched this issue and arrived at a similar conclusion. The Dyslexic Trust in Oxford, England, helped by Equazen Nutraceuticals, is funding further research into this.

They wish to study primary school children with neuro-developmental disorders; these are children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism. The children are to be given dietary supplements of omega 3 found in fish and omega 6 found in plants. These plant and fish extracts are to be given at regular periods over the 6-month trial period.

The study is taking place at about 13 primary schools in County Durham. The county’s senior educational psychologist, Dr. Madelaine Portland, leads the Team. A breath test will be used to identify fatty acid deficiencies. The children are not giving anything up in their diet. Researchers hope that by doing this it will be possible to discover if dietary deficiency was to blame.

Dr. Portland said in a BBC interview that if the problem was metabolic rather than neurological it was treatable with supplements. So perhaps these studies, if correct might bring about important changes to the way these children are educated.

William E. Ferguson
April 2002

Diet and ADD or ADHD

I love a glass of orange juice, but I am not sure whether it has an allergic effect on children with ADD or ADHD. A seven-year old boy, David, started coming to me about six months ago. He had not yet started to read, but his main problem seems to be paying attention. He wanted to learn to read, but had great difficulty staying still and keeping his attention on what we were doing. He tapped on the table, looked out of the window at the slightest sound, and generally fidgeted most of the time.

After a couple of weeks I spoke to David and his mother Liz about this. She said that she had tried to stop him drinking Cola and soda drinks, chocolate, crisps and food with additives, but found it hard because he was always asking for them. I explained to Liz that he might be suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD or ADHD. This condition cannot yet be cured, but diet makes quite a difference in many children who suffer from it. Liz agreed that she had been a bit defeatist about this, and promised to be strict about what she bought at the supermarket in future. I also suggested finding some treats that didn't contain sugar, colorings or additives so that David had something positive to look forward to with his new diet. He thought he would like fruit salad and home-made soup especially (but not together!).

Looking forward to seeing a calmer David the next week, I was genuinely surprised to find him equally fidgety and inattentive. "You're buzzing, aren't you!" I said, and he agreed. Whatever could it be, and how was he going to learn to read in this state? When Liz came to collect him, I said how surprised I was at his lack of improvement. Liz agreed and seemed rather irritated that my dietary suggestions had made no improvement. "Tell me exactly what you've eaten and drunk today," I said to David. "Nothing but pure food and drink", said Liz. "Before your lesson with Dot, you had a glass of pure orange juice." "Orange juice?" "Yes - no coloring, no additives, just pure juice."

And then I remembered reading how orange juice can trigger migraines in people who are susceptible to them. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Liz substituted apple juice for orange juice, and David has never looked back. At his lesson the following week he was a different person - calm and relaxed. Six months later, he can read and write and no longer needs the extra lessons from me. Nice to have a success story!

Dot's Diary
February 2002

Latest research on fish oil and Omega-3 fatty acids
Around half of all dyslexic children experience some degree of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD or ADHD). British children are suffering behavioural and learning disorders because their diets are deficient in vital nutrients needed for their brains to function normally, a study at Oxford University reveals. Rigorous scientific research shows that the performance of underachieving children, some of whom were also disruptive, improved dramatically when their diets were supplemented with fish oils. The fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for brain development and function but are largely missing from modern processed diets.

UK readers will also have been aware of the Jamie Oliver campaign to improve school dinners and, with a more balanced diet, to improve children's behavior. Moreover, ITV showed the story of three teenagers with serious behavior problems whose lives were transformed through a change of diet from burgers and Cola drinks to a healthy diet with fruit, vegetables, etc. It is interesting that two of the boys also had dietary allergies; it might be worthwhile calling the nutritionist instead of the psychologist to diagnose some behavior problems!

Note: For vegans or vegetarians, Flaxseed Oil (Linseed Oil) may be used as an alternative to fish oil.

Food for the Brain - non-profit educational campaign, created by a group of nutritionists, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, teachers and scientists to promote the link between nutrition and mental health. A free online questionnaire allows you to know which nutritional changes are most likely to help your child maximise their potential.
Food for the Brain

My Own Symptoms of ADHD - I still have many of the same childhood behaviors even in my later adult year. Here are a list of behaviors that I exhibit:

1. I have always been affected by any beverage that contained caffeine.
2. Chocolates give me lots of energy.
3. Foods containing high sugar content, for example, baked goods, candy, etc. give me unnatural energy. I'm jumpy inside.
4. I still fidget when I am sitting in a car or have to sit quietly listening to someone. I play with my hands, bite my nails, move my feet around in some fashion.
5. When people become long-winded in conversation, my mind races to other thoughts.
6. When I entertain gests, I can't sit still for very long talking to them. I find myself getting up and I think of something else I can do.
7. Paying close attention to details is also difficult. I tend to scan briefly and then react rather than respond to the entire message.
8. I need to engage in physical exercise or activities on a daily basis.
9. When I need to really understand something, I need to force myself to read or listen, with a conscious effort, to that which I need to learn.
10. Maintaining a focus on school assignments for very long is very taxing. I just want to get away from it.
11. I often fill in words that another person is trying to think of when speaking to others, or have difficulty waiting for someone to call on me in a classroom situation.
12. I sometimes have difficulty following instructions carefully and completely. I always change thing a little.
13. I am impulsive. I can change my mind in a second.
C.S., USA, on the Dyslexia Certificate Course. 

Success Using Medication for ADD or ADHD

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Children's Diet Linked to Disorders