Dietary and nutrient status of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a case-control study

Since unhealthy diets and nutritional deficiencies have been linked with causing the common neurodevelopmental disorder attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this 2018 study assessed children with ADHD to confirm differences in dietary habits and nutrient profiles from healthy controls. Chou et al. firstly interviewed both the 42 patients with ADHD (mean age: 8.1 years) and 36 healthy children (average age: 9.8 years) and examined their dietary intake through a food frequency questionnaire. The results indicated that children with ADHD included more refined grains in their diets compared with the control, but also ate a lower percentage of dairy, calcium, and vitamin B2. It was noted that the patients with ADHD could be distinguished from the healthy controls when looking at their dietary and nutrient composite scores. These composite scores also significantly correlated with ADHD symptom severity. These results not only verify the differences in dietary patterns between healthy children and those with ADHD, but also suggest that dietary and nutrient factors may play a role in the development of ADHD. Clinicians should consider these factors when conducting routine assessments of children with ADHD. [NPID: ADHD, children, refined grains, processed, attention].

Year: 2018

Reference: Chou, W. J., Lee, M. F., Hou, M. L., Hsiao, L. S., Lee, M. J., Chou, M. C., & Wang, L. J. (2018). Dietary and nutrient status of children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder: a case-control study. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 27(6), 1325–1331.