Changes in our diets can be used as a treatment or intervention for ADHD problems. A recent study from my neighboring country Norway found that a sub-group of children with ADHD have a type of protein imbalance that could be contributing to a child’s ADHD symptoms, or in some cases, causing that child’s ADHD problem entirely (Source: divaportal.org).
Dairy and ADHD
The study began in 1996 when a Norwegian group of researchers and educators started monitoring 23 ADHD children long-term. The children started a milk-free diet and the researchers documented the performance of the children.
They wanted to see if children’s ADHD symptoms, especially hyperactivity and impulsivity, would improve or disappear by avoiding milk, or “Casein” in the milk.
Milk is a very common food allergen in children. Several studies from around the globe show a prevalence of milk allergy in children around 2% to 5%. Other estimates are much higher. Twenty protein components found in cow’s milk may cause allergic responses. The milk proteins casein and whey are the main allergens. (Caseins give milk its whiteness and make it possible to make cheese and whey is basically the remainder of the milk.)
The group was working under Reichelt’s theory that a metabolic disorder could be making it difficult to break down certain proteins and this might cause mental problems including ADHD.
Abnormal levels of peptides were found in the urine of all twenty-three children in the long-term study. All of these kids had ADHD symptoms. During the study, the children followed a strict casein-free diet for a year. Twenty-two of the children participating in the study documented “clear improvements” in their behavior and attention span.
“One of the kids I worked with started on the diet on Wednesday and by the weekend his parents said they saw a huge positive change in his behavior.” One of the researchers explained.
Not drinking cow’s milk is a simple and safe intervention. You can always try eliminating one thing from your child’s diet at a time, and see if there is improvement.
We eliminated dairy from our kids’ diets for three months to see if it made a difference. Unfortunately, my kids still had lots of stomach issues despite quitting dairy, and I didn’t notice a huge improvement in their ADHD, but it was a simple thing to try. We did the same experiment with gluten which didn’t deliver any positive results either, but at least we could eliminate those items as potential causes of my kids’ stomach issues and ADHD symptoms.
The theories of Dr. Kalle Reichelt on diet (milk and gluten, and their association with mental illness ) are very interesting. It’s always exciting to read studies that investigate these associations.
Some of our Favorite Dairy-Free Recipes Are Linked Below
Dairy-Free Chocolate balls (Similar to American No-Bake Cookies)
My daughter was having trouble with constipation and the doctor suggested trying dairy-free food. My girls and I experimented with the traditional Swedish Chocolate ball cookies trying to make a healthier variation that wouldn’t make her constipation worse.
Ingredients
Chocolate 70% Dairy-free 100g (we like to use 70% mint chocolate)
Dates 200g (buy the kinds without the pits)
Figs 6 big dried figs (remove the stems if they are still on the figs)
Cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons
Options for decorating the chocolate balls
Rolling the chocolate balls in coconut, cocoa, or sugar keeps them from sticking together and slightly changes the flavor depending on what you chose.
Shredded Coconut 1/4 cup. This is what I usually use for my kids.
Cocoa powder 2 Tablespoons. This may appeal to those who do not like coconut. My husband and I like it this way, but my kids do not.
Swedish pearl sugar 1/4 cup. This can be used to roll the chocolate balls in if your kids don’t think they are sweet enough. The easiest place to buy Swedish Pearl sugar in the USA is to order it from Amazon, but you may find it in the European section of a large grocery store.
70% chocolate. Melt chocolate and dip the balls. Let them dry before eating.
You can roll the chocolate balls in powdered sugar or granulated sugar if you want them to extra sweet!
Melt the chocolate on low heat.
Mix the Figs and the dates in a food processor or in a heavy-duty blender until the mixture resembles a smooth black glob. You should not be able to see small pieces of figs or dates when you finish mixing.
Push the date and fig mixture to the bottom of the food processer and pour the melted chocolate on top. Start the machine and mix in the chocolate.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cocoa on the date-fig-chocolate mixture and fold into the dough. This adds more dark chocolate flavor (my kids like it this way), but if you are making these for kids who are not fond of 70% chocolate or if you are in a hurry skip this step.
Once you fold the cocoa powder into the mixture, roll it into balls about the size of a quarter in diameter.
Roll the balls in coconut, cocoa, pearl sugar, or whatever suits your taste. If you want to dunk the balls in chocolate, you will need to melt 500 grams of chocolate on low heat and cool them in the fridge.
Good Luck