Question
What are the dietary considerations for children with ADHD? Since the child’s grades have dropped, parents have noticed their child exhibiting hyperactive behavior.
Answer
Children with ADHD should avoid fried and crispy foods, as they are prone to causing internal heat and inflammation. Foods like instant noodles, which contain additives and preservatives, may also harm brain function. Rich, sweet, and greasy foods tend to produce phlegm and turbidity, while cold foods may damage the spleen and stomach, leading to improper digestion. These conditions are not conducive to controlling the illness. Therefore, it is recommended that children with ADHD avoid these types of foods. In addition, the treatment of ADHD mainly includes behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy utilizes the principles of operant conditioning to help patients learn appropriate social skills through positive or negative reinforcement and to replace inappropriate behavioral patterns with new effective behaviors.