Diet in the treatment of ADHD in children - A systematic review of the literature
Sammanfattning
Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric
conditions in childhood. Dietary changes have been suggested as a way of reducing ADHD
symptoms. Aims: To provide an overview of the evidence available on dietary interventions in
children with ADHD, a systematic review was carried out of all dietary intervention studies in children
with ADHD. Methods: Relevant databases were searched in October 2011, with an update search in
March 2013. The studies included describe diet interventions in children with ADHD or equivalent
diagnoses measuring possible changes in core ADHD symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity and
impulsivity. Results: A total of 52 studies were identified, some investigating whether ADHD
symptoms can improve by avoiding certain food elements (20 studies), and some whether certain
food elements may reduce ADHD symptoms (32 studies). Conclusion: Elimination diets and fish oil
supplementation seem to be the most promising dietary interventions for a reduction in ADHD
symptoms in children. However, the studies on both treatments have shortcomings, and more
thorough investigations will be necessary to decide whether they are recommendable as part of
ADHD treatment