The ‘few foods’ elimination diet (Arch Dis Child, 2001 84:404–409) is considered “a valuable instrument” for both testing the foods to blame for ADHD and, after eliminating these foods, for improving children’s behavior. 69.4% reduction on the ADHD assessment scale comparing with 45.3% in control group without dietary intervention (Eur Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 18, Number 1 / January, 2009).

The method

There are so called oligo-antigenic foods — foods that are unlikely to produce an adverse behavioral response: lamb, chicken, potatoes, rice, banana, apple and brassica (e.g., broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, etc).

Additional foods were reintroduced, one by one, and if there was no adverse reaction they were retained in the diet. Foods causing adverse reactions were tested in a double-blind control setting: out of two similar meals only one contained the food causing an adverse reaction another being an analog of different chemical nature, for example, cows milk versus soya milk.

The usual suspects

Cows milk caused an adverse reaction in 64% of children; chocolate (59%), grapes (49%), wheat (49%), oranges (45%), cows cheese (40%) and hens egg (39%).

Food intolerance and behavior

• Some children with ADHD respond adversely to certain foods.
• Among the more common foods to blame are wheat, dairy products and chocolate.
• Not all children sharing diagnosis such as ADHD responded similarly to the diet intervention.