The Sensory Show 047: How Foods Correlate With Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity is so common among the children of our current generation. It’s even more common in children who have sensory processing difficulties. My take on it is that children with sensory processing difficulties are children who are sensitive in general, so naturally their brain chemistry is going to be more reactive to imbalances that more mature brains would be able to handle. These sensitive brains are not just related to children, as many adults have sensitivities that can cause other problems such as migraines, seizures, etc… Today I am just talking about our sensory kids though!
SUGAR is a stimulant, and is therefore a huge contributor to the hyperactivity we see in many children. Sugar is fast-acting, so most parents and caretakers should know in general if their children do well when they eat cake, cookies and sugary drinks.
CAFFEINE is also a stimulant and it works in the same general fashion as sugar. We usually think of coffee and soft drinks when we think of caffeine, but for children I usually suspect chocolate first, and soft drinks second. Some children eat chocolate candy and parents report this when asked, but they often forget their child drinks chocolate milk every day for a certain meal, because they think of it more as “milk” versus “chocolate”.
FOOD DYES & PRESERVATIVES are often culprits for causing hyperactivity as well, as these are foreign chemicals we put in our bodies. Our brains are like computers and they have a system for identifying foods and knowing what to do with them, but when we add these chemicals to our bodies, our brains can get confused and not know what to do with them. They are also fast-acting like sugar and caffeine, so these foods are easier for parents to identify as problems once they start reading the labels of everything they give their children. Red dye #40 is the most common food dye that is linked to hyperactivity. Parents have reported that juices, soft drinks, gummy fruit snacks and candy with red coloring cause problems over the same foods that are of different colors. There are no set rules for what may be causing reactions in your child though, so you have to take this general information and start your own food dairy and food investigation! One child may be sensitive to red food dye and others may be reactive to blue or yellow dyes. Preservatives are hidden in many foods that are found along the shelves in grocery stores. The best ways to avoid preservatives are to buy: organic foods, foods for which the ingredient list is short and every ingredient is known as a common food (and easy to pronounce), and foods that are found along the perimeter of the grocery store.
MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS are also common contributors to hyperactivity in children. This correlation is a lot tougher for parents to figure out on their own because dairy products don’t usually cause immediate behavioral reactions. They slowly affect the digestive system and bog it down, causing imbalances in the body. The good news is that if you are interested in seeing if dairy products are a culprit linked to your child’s behaviors, you only need to do a dairy elimination diet for 2 weeks- which is how long it takes for all dairy to completely leave the body. If your child’s behaviors don’t change in this time, then you will know it’s at least not a huge and obvious food that affects your child.
I highly recommend you seek professional guidance from a doctor, nutritionist or trusted healthcare provider to figure out the in’s and out’s of your own child. You can use this information as a general guide to get moving in the right direction and then find a doctor who has researched the effects of food on children and hyperactivity, so you can get your child’s brain running to be the best it can be!
I sighted some research on this podcast episode if you would like more information, but you can also do an internet search and find a lot of articles now on these topics. I hope this information has been helpful to you. Please feel free to post any comments or questions and I will do my best to answer them or guide you to the right professional. Good Luck!
