Adverse Food Reactions and ADHD

How Food Allergies and Sensitivities Can Affect Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

by Emily Penney, ND

Do you or your child suffer from Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder?
Are you looking for natural treatments as an alternative to medication?

Many children and adults with the diagnosis of ADD or ADHD have multiple food sensitivities that contribute to their symptoms of inattentiveness or hyperactivity. Food sensitivities can have profound effects on focus, mood, and behavior. Wheat, dairy, sugar, and eggs are common suspects for people who suffer from behavioral disorders, though there can be many others. Avoidance of the problematic foods or completing the NAET protocol (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique) are both effective methods of managing food sensitivities.

If you or your child have been diagnosed with AD/HD and have not investigated food sensitivities via blood testing or an Allergy Elimination and Challenge Diet, this is an important first step. Once the reactive foods have been identified, the next step is to remove them from the diet. Some choose to stop there, and this is a valid treatment for food sensitivities. However, for those who prefer not to have a limited diet, or are not able to fully control their child’s diet, eliminating the reactions with NAET can be a better long-term choice for treatment.

ADHD or Sugar Allergy? A Case Study

A few years ago I saw a young family in my office in Port Townsend, WA. “Simon”, a precocious and friendly five year old, was having trouble in school. His parents were told he probably had ADHD and that he would probably need medication. Hoping for an alternative to medication, they brought him in to see me. During the initial office visit Simon’s parents described mysterious mood swings in their otherwise cheerful child, and daily episodes of hyperactivity followed by irritability. Suspecting something in Simon’s diet was irritating his nervous system, I ordered a food allergy panel. When the results came back, IgG antibodies to sugars and milk were off the chart. It turns out that Simon would not drink water, only milk and juice. As soon as Simon stopped eating these foods, his mood, energy, and attention level normalized. His parents and teachers were amazed. When I asked Mom how she managed to keep him away from his favorite foods, she told me he had learned they made him feel bad and he avoided them on his own!

Simon’s is an unusual case in that at the tender age of five, he had the self discipline to willingly avoid the foods he was reactive to. Most kids (and adults!) have a harder time with food avoidance, especially those with multiple sensitivities.

“True Health Is Having Options”

A favorite mentor from my medical school days liked to say “Health is having options.” Aka, when you are truly healthy, you can do what you love to do and not be limited by restrictions. I have thought about that old doctor’s saying a lot over the years, especially when getting back yet another food allergy panel from the lab and waiting for the usual (unhappy) reaction from my patient when I tell them all the foods they need to avoid in order to be healthy. That doctor’s saying served as an inspiration to seek another way, one that would give people options.

NAET was the option I was looking for. Over the past two years I have been consistently impressed with the results my patients are getting with their NAET treatments. The founder and namesake of the technique, Dr Nambudripad, has cured hundreds of adults and children with ADD and ADHD using NAET, including her own son!

What is NAET?

Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique, or NAET, is a revolutionary, all natural, drug-free treatment for eliminating allergies, food intolerances, and chemical sensitivities, and resolving allergyrelated conditions, often with lasting results. It is completely painless, and non-invasive. NAET theory draws from various medical disciplines: Conventional (Allopathic), Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Kinesiology, and Nutrition.

NAET can be used for any age patient. It utilizes specific acupressure points along the spine to safely desensitize the body to allergens and sensitivities.

What Does a NAET Treatment Involve?

NAET therapy is painless and easy. It utilizes Neuromuscular Sensitivity Testing (NST) which indicates weaknesses in the body caused by offending substances. The doctor then stimulates specific pressure points along the spine while the patient holds the offending substance. This retrains the brain to recognize the substance as benign. The patient must completely avoid the treated item for 25 hours following the treatment. Reactive items are treated one at a time following a specific sequence. If strict avoidance is followed during the 25 hour avoidance period, it may take only one or two treatments to eliminate each reactive item. It is highly recommended that at least the first 15 basic treatments are completed for optimal results. Prospective patients are asked to read “Say Goodbye to Your Allergies” by Dr. Nambudripad before initiating NAET treatments in order to fully familiarize themselves with the process.

To learn more about NAET, visit our NAET Services page.

To learn more about NAET treatments for AD/HD see Dr Namburipad’s book “Say Goodbye to ADD and ADHD”

Have more questions about NAET? You can schedule a free ten minute consult with Dr Penney by calling our office at 208-338-0405.