> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Got kids with ADHD?  Healthy diet can help!
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/adhd_healthy_diet_0117120302/
- Published: 2012-01-17T16:02:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:08:49.000Z
- Description: A Pediatrics review by Millichap and Yee reports that diets low in sugar, free of additives and preservatives, and high in omega-3 fats and fiber may reduce ADHD symptoms, with iron and zinc supplements possibly helping, while Western-style diets may worsen the condition.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Diet, Nutrition, ADHD, #vivvo-import

By David Liu

We already know that pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has something to do with food additives. But there are more things parents and their children can do to help ADHD, according to a recent review in the journal Pediatrics.

The review by J. Gordon Millichap, MD and Michelle M. Yee, CPNP of Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois finds that what can reduce the symptoms of ADHD include healthy diets low in sugar, free of food additives or preservatives and oligoantigens, and or high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Iron and zinc supplements may also help.

On the other hand, the authors also report that using Western diet high in fat, refined sugars can worsen the condition of ADHD.

Approximately 9.5% or 5.4 million children 4-17 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, as of 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC states that a child who has ADHD may

*have a hard time paying attention*

*daydream a lot*

*not seem to listen*

*be easily distracted from schoolwork or play*

*forget things*

*be in constant motion or unable to stay seated*

*squirm or fidget*

*talk too much*

*not be able to play quietly*

*act and speak without thinking*

*have trouble taking turns*

*interrupt others*

The federal health agency says ADHD is best treated with a combination of medication and behavior therapy. But the review authors suggest that pharmacotherapy may not work for every pediatric patient with ADHD who may benefit greatly from a healthy diet.