Hyperactivity and Diet Treatment

Abstract

This paper is a review of primary research investigating the Feingold hypothesis which suggests diet modification as an efficacious treatment for hyperactivity. The techniques of meta-analysis were used to integrate statistically the findings from 23 studies. The primary finding indicates that diet modification is not an effective intervention for hyperactivity as evidenced by the negligible treatment effects which are only slightly greater than those expected by chance. When the data were refined into groupings related to outcome and design variables, support was rendered for the primary finding. It is concluded that extant research has not validated the Feingold hypothesis and that diet modification should be questioned as an efficacious treatment for hyperactivity.

Restriction and Elimination Diets in ADHD Treatment

“…An initial meta-analysis in 1983 35 included 23 studies of varying quality regarding the efficacy of the Feingold diet; the authors concluded that the composite effect size ( d = 0.11) was too small to be important, setting the tone for 2 decades of professional skepticism as to the value of elimination diets. More recently, however, in 2004, Schab and Trinh 36 reviewed 15 higher quality studies, which were all double-blind, placebo-controlled studies focused on food color elimination or challenge, plus 6 others for a supplemental analysis.…”

Future Directions in ADHD Etiology Research

“…Dietary additives were occasionally suggested as the culprit in children’s adjustment for nearly 100 years, and in the 1970s, Feingold (1975) made a specific proposal that reactions to food, and particularly to artificial food coloring, might cause ADHD in some youngsters. This general idea appeared disproven at first (Kavale & Forness, 1983), then as studies accumulated it began to seem the idea might have some basis (Schab & Trinh, 2004). A recent meta-analysis indicates that experimental studies of causal effects support a small effect of either food colors or other additives.…”

Meta-Analysis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Restriction Diet, and Synthetic Food Color Additives

“…In 1982, the National Institutes of Health convened a consensus development conference on defined diets and childhood hyperactivity, which recommended further study. A 1983 9 meta-analysis included 23 studies regarding the efficacy of the Feingold diet; the authors concluded that the composite effect size ( d = 0.11) was too small to be important, setting the tone for two decades of professional skepticism as to the value of dietary intervention in ADHD. In a more recent meta-analysis, Schab and Trinh 10 reviewed 15 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, plus six others for their supplemental analysis.…”