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B vitamins have many functions but are crucial for the brain and nervous system to function properly. Deficiency in the B vitamins can impair the functioning of the brain and nervous system, resulting in poor learning and memory recall, aggression and depression. B vitamins are found in a variety of foods including pork, meat, cod, salmon, bread, cereals, rice, eggs, vegetables, soya beans, nuts, and potatoes, dairy products, and some cereals.

Iron is very important because it helps the body to make haemoglobin which carries oxygen around the body. It has a direct effect on cognitive development, energy level and work performance. Iron deficiency has been found in high numbers of children with ADHD. Studies have shown that boosting iron levels increases concentration and school performance as well as improving behaviour. Iron is found in red meat, beans, nuts, dried fruit, whole grains (such as brown rice), fortified breakfast cereals, soya, most dark green leafy vegetables and chocolate.

Omega-3 oils (good fats) are essential for normal growth and development, including brain functioning. Deficiencies have been linked to poor memory and concentration, mood swings, depression, aggression and hyperactivity. Omega-3 oils are found in oily fish, for example fresh tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines and pilchards, but can be taken effectively and safely as a supplement. There is now compelling evidence that adding omega-3 to a child’s diet can boost intelligence and learning, as well as stabilising ADHD.

Sugar high

Apart from the obvious sugar-laden foods – sweets, biscuits, cakes and puddings, etc. – sugar is added to many processed foods, and as a result of eating these we have become a nation of ‘sweet tooths’. As well as having physical effects – tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. – too much sugar can have an effect on mood and behaviour. Most parents have observed the ‘high’ that too many sweet foods or sugary drinks can have on a child – even the average child without a hyperactivity disorder. As sugar enters the blood stream it gives a surge of energy, and the child rushes around on a high; however, after the ‘sugar rush’ comes a low as the body dispenses insulin to stabilise itself. The child then becomes tired, irritable and even aggressive, with a craving for something sweet. So begins a pattern of sugar-related highs and lows. If the child is prone to mood swings or hyperactivity, refined sugar will fuel it. Sugar intake should be moderated and ideally from a natural source – i.e. fruit.

Caffeine

Beware of added caffeine. Although it is unlikely you will give your child a cup of strong black coffee, the equivalent amount of caffeine can be found in a can of many fizzy drinks. Caffeine is added by the manufacturers and is a powerful stimulant – which is why many adults drink coffee in the morning to wake them up. Caffeine acts immediately on the central nervous system, giving a powerful but short-lived high. Some bottles and cans of fizzy drink now state that they are ‘caffeine free’, but they are still in the minority, and you will need to check the label to see if caffeine is present, and in what quantity.

Children’s sensitivity to caffeine varies, but studies have shown that even children who are not prone to ADHD can become hyperactive, lose concentration, suffer from insomnia and have challenging behaviour when caffeine-laden fizzy drinks are added to their diets. Caffeine is also addictive, and many children are addicted (from regularly consuming fizzy drinks), without their parents realising it. The children crave and seek out the drinks, and suffer the effects of withdrawal – headaches, listlessness, irritability – until they have had their daily ‘fix’. Caffeine is best avoided by all parents for their children, but if your child has behavioural problems, particularly ADHD, it is absolutely essential to avoid it. There are plenty of enticing soft drinks and juice alternatives available that don’t have added caffeine.

Fluid

The human body is approximately 63 per cent water, and the brain 77 per cent. Drinking regularly, and therefore keeping the body and brain hydrated, is absolutely essential to function effectively. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated, and even mild dehydration can cause headaches, tiredness, loss of concentration and irritability. Salt is added to most snacks and processed food in high quantities, and salt is a diuretic – i.e. it makes you wee more, which results in dehydration if the lost fluid is not replaced.

While added salt is obvious in crisps, for example, it is not so obvious in ice cream, bread, breakfast cereals (even healthy ones), sauces, pizza and burgers – in fact many of the foods children eat. Children are more prone to dehydration than adults, as a result of diet, activity levels (fluid is lost in sweat) and the fact that they can forget to drink. Also, the school routine doesn’t always offer enough opportunity for children to drink during the day, with the result that many children become dehydrated.

Trials have shown that if children take a bottle of water into school, and are encouraged to drink at regular intervals during the day, there isn’t the dip in concentration and learning that is often experienced in late morning and afternoon. The ideal drink for children is water, but if your child really won’t drink water, then lightly lace it with additive free squash or fruit juice.

Special Needs

When I was growing up the average person had never heard of ADHD, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, bipolar disorder, attachment disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder or any of the conditions which now seem to be endemic in our children. It would be difficult to imagine that these conditions have suddenly been spawned by a generation, so they must therefore have existed to some extent in the children I grew up with, but without being diagnosed. These ‘special needs’ children were simply acknowledged as being a bit different by their friends and peer