High Fat Diets Maybe Linked To ADHD And Learning Problems

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Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness;  ADHD;  Anxiety / Stress
Article Date: 23 Feb 2013 - 0:00 PST Current ratings for:
High Fat Diets Maybe Linked To ADHD And Learning Problems

Diets that are high in fat are possibly linked to childhood brain-based conditions, such as memory-dependent learning disabilities and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers from the University of Illinois College of Medicine reported in Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Senior author, Gregory Freund, said:

"We found that a high-fat diet rapidly affected dopamine metabolism in the brains of juvenile mice, triggering anxious behaviors and learning deficiencies. Interestingly, when methylphenidate (Ritalin) was administered, the learning and memory problems went away."

Altered dopamine signaling is common in both obese/overweight children as well as those with ADHD, Freund explained. When the number of dopamine metabolites is higher, anxiety behaviors in children are more prevalent, he added.

Freund and team were intrigued by the recent increase in childhood obesity prevalence, which appears to have risen in parallel to the number of children with adverse psychological conditions, including ADHD, depression and impulsivity.

Freund and colleagues set out to determine what the effects of a high-fat diet versus a low-fat one might be on the behavior of four-week-old mice. In the high-fat diet, 60% of the calories came from fat, while in the low fat one only 10% came from fat. Typical diets in Western Europe, North America, and Australasia contain between 35% to 45% fat.

The researchers noticed a marked difference in the behavior of the mice in the high-fat diet within a week, even before they were able to detect any weight gain.

The high-fat diet mice started burrowing and wheel running more frequently. They also became more and more reluctant to explore open spaces. Certain memory and learning deficits became noticeable among the mice on the high-fat diet - their ability to negotiate a maze started to deteriorate; their ability to recognize objects also got worse.

The mice on the high-fat diet were then switched to a low-fat one. Even though impaired recognition continued among those that remained on the high-fat diet, the researchers explained that previous studies had shown that the brain biochemistry of mice starts to normalize after about ten weeks as the body begins to compensate for the high-fat diet. Dopamine eventually returns to normal and the mice get fatter and fatter, become obese and develop diabetes.

Is the Western pattern diet triggering anxious behaviors and learning deficiencies in children?

Freund said:

"Although the mice grow out of these anxious behaviors and learning deficiencies, the study suggests to me that a high-fat diet could trigger anxiety and memory disorders in a child who is genetically or environmentally susceptible to them."

If mice adapt to a high-fat diet, would an abrupt change to a low-fat one have a negative effect on memory, learning and anxiety, the scientists wondered.

No inflammation - the authors were surprised to find no evidence of inflammatory response in the brains of the mice after three weeks on the high-fat diet. One would expect a high-fat diet to stimulate inflammation.

Instead, there was evidence that a high-fat diet triggers chemical responses similar to ones observed in addiction, with dopamine, the neurotransmitter that drives an addict's pleasurable experiences, rising in the brain.

A different study, carried out by researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and published in the International Journal of Obesity, found that children with symptoms of ADHD are more likely to become obese adults.

Researchers from Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research found that a diet high in total fat, saturated fat, refined sugar and sodium - a Western diet - is more likely to cause ADHD in adolescents, compared to non-Western diets. Their study was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders (July 2010 issue).

Team leader, Associate Professor Wendy Oddy, said "We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences."

Written by Christian Nordqvist

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject. "Methylphenidate prevents high-fat diet (HFD)-induced learning/memory impairment in juvenile mice"
Melissa M. Kaczmarczyk, Agnieszka S. Machaj, Gabriel S. Chiu, Marcus A. Lawson, Stephen J. Gainey, Jason M. York, Daryl D. Meling, Stephen A. Martin, Kristen A. Kwakwa, Andrew F. Newman, Jeffrey A. Woods, Keith W. Kelley, Yanyan Wang, Michael J. Miller, and Gregory G. Freund
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posted by ritalinfree on 27 Feb 2013 at 4:52 am

Very interesting. I even sent a link to this article to some of my patients.
Thanks for sharing.

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posted by EllyB on 25 Feb 2013 at 12:16 pm

Although diet and genetics may be causes of ADHD, I think that we can change the mind of this disorder. I'm using vitamin supplements, diet and a neurofeedback program play attention to help my son and it seems to be working. We have only just begun but I do believe that even though this disorder may or may not be curable we can change the behavior that comes along with it.

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posted by Dr Billy Levin on 24 Feb 2013 at 12:11 pm

As ADHD is genetically inherited right brain dominance and/or left brain immaturity it is impossible for food eaten to make one brain flourish and hamper the other. THe mesomorphic feactures are there at birth.

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Health plans - diet may play a role in the relief of the symptoms of ADHD

What is ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]?

This disorder provides generally the [children, adolescents or adults] sufferer who has with a lack of:

* ability to pay attention
* trouble focusing on any specific task
* difficulty in remaining always

Other symptoms associated with ADHD are impulsive, negativity, bad mood, anxiety, depression and insomnia [with evil sleep].

Unfortunately, there is no true cure for this condition, it can however be controlled by medication and behavioral therapy. Although research on ADHD plans were limited, many of our health experts believe that playing around to the diet of patients and introducing and excluding certain foods, the symptoms of ADHD can be identified to some extent.

Important nutrition for ADHD

* high-protein - the patient has increase his protein intake [in the morning and after school/work snacks] because it facilitates the improvement of their concentration and possibly also gives medication action a long time. This includes eggs, cheese, beans, nuts and meat.

* avoid simple carbohydrates - sugar, candy, chips, etc. as possible. Difficult with the children that they tend to live for these types of foods.

* increase the intake of fatty acids Omega-3 - whether by increased consumption of fish, such as tuna or salmon, or taking supplements, it is a very important fat in any diet.

* the complex carbohydrates - found in some fruits and vegetables [oranges, pears, apples, kiwi, etc.], must be increased as it is believed that these complexes carbo can help with sleep.

Plan of disposal for ADHD

That said exactly what it means. You start by trying to eliminate a food that you think could be the source of the problems. You'll soon see if symptoms release, which then means that you should continue to avoid that food. This could be very long, are many of the ingredients and foods out there that can cause problems, but in the long term may help the patient with its symptoms.

Diet supplements for ADHD

Assuming that the body is absent in certain vital vitamins, minerals or nutrients, many patients take supplements that cover all the needs of bodies, in so doing, they can see if their symptoms of ADHD release [ideally any diet for ADHD must feed the cerveaucomme brain can essentially reduce the symptoms of ADHD]

Food additives

There are a couple of these additives which could cause an adverse reaction in ADHD patients and should be avoided as much as possible:

* food colouring - strange but true, the colors red and yellow would increase the symptoms of ADHD
* additive - the addition of [mono-sodium glutamate] MSG, aspartame, and nitrate to improve or to soften the flavor of foods also appears to increase the symptoms of the disease

Conservation officers can also cause an adverse reaction, but don't forget that the effects are varied and depend on the age of patients and the real additive. Other foods that could cause a reaction include sugar and caffeine, most expert advice that these foods should be removed from the diet.

Advice when you try to change the diet of ADHD

(1) make changes slowly and change a single food at a time as this will allow you to see whether or not the change has helped
(2) keep what you change in a note of dairy, food products any change occurring - positive or negative - and include a time line
(3) Keep your doctor in the loop - tell him if changes have occurred

Non-food tips to help ADHD

* always, don't forget to take medication as prescribed by your doctor for this condition
* deep breathing will help with stress, anxiety and anger - there are several techniques out there that you could use
* regular exercise - try to at least 30 minutes or more than one form of exercise or sport day
* meditation and relaxation training can help with the increased focus and concentration, this will help to reduce capacity distract
* sleep - try to get at least 8 hours of sleep at night

Remember - the more you know ADHD and the different foods that can cause problems better you will be able to assess the most effective changes to the patient or treatment. Always include your doctor when establishing changes.

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Rapid weight loss diets. Do they work?

Weight loss has become one of the biggest businesses these days. People from all walks of life have become so conscious with their looks that they are willing to go the extra mile just to get the body they want. The importance of catering to everyone’s needs has pushed the industry to come out with different kinds of diets, which were all designed with specific type of people in mind. If you are new to the world of weight loss, you’d no doubt want to lose weight in the fastest time possible. One of the options you might choose is going through rapid weight loss diets, which is very enticing indeed. Who wouldn’t want losing weight in a flash, right? While this sounds really great, it begs one important question—does it really work?

There are a lot of options when it comes to losing weight rapidly. You can go for the Atkin’s diet, the Grapefruit diet, the Russian Airforce diet or even a bread and butter diet. There’s a lot more, and you should have no problem choosing among them. When it comes to losing weight per se, these diets work- there’s no doubt about that. What you need to be concern about though is the effects they have in your body. Here are some reasons why experts don’t suggest going through the rapid weight loss route.

HEALTH RISKS

Fad diets, as how rapid weight loss diets are also called, are linked to a number of health risks. For one, these kinds of diets might lead to bulimia and anorexia. Since you are going to lose weight without waiting for your body to adjust, you may also experience loose skin as a result of the weight lost.

FRUSTRATION

Much of the weight lost in this kind of diet is water weight.  This simply means you’d end up gaining the weight back when you get off the diet. For one, this will end up in a lot of frustration. People who have been losing weight this way are known to be jubilant when they shed off the pounds, only to get down with frustration when they end up going back to their original weight. Maintaining fad diets for a long time is dangerous, so going through it again is not recommended.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If rapid weight loss diets works, but are not recommended—what should you do? It’s simple. Lose weight the old and tested way. The first thing that you’d need to do is to pay your physician a visit. Some people are not really fit to go on a diet, so it’s best to have yourself checked first. Once your doctor gives you the go sign, choose the best diet and then change your lifestyle. Remember that following an eating pattern is not something you do for a few days—it needs to be incorporated to your lifestyle if you want to truly lose weight. There are a lot of diets you can choose from, but one of the best is the Mediterranean diet.

When it comes to achieving a sexy body, we always recommend doing it slowly—but surely. You’d be better off losing a few pounds a week, than going on a crash diet then end up gaining it all back after a few weeks. By losing weight the right way, you save yourself from a lot of frustration plus you get to maintain the body that you want and be proud of. Just remember to get a clearance from your doctor first, follow a healthy eating pattern, work out, and drink a lot of water.

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