Most people in the U.S. eat what’s called the Standard American Diet -- SAD for short. And most Functional Medicine docs see that as not only an appropriate acronym but an accurate description of our diet, as well.
But what difference does it make? Really. Does our diet really effect our mental health? For most people that’s pretty obvious, but for others it’s a novel idea, a surprising thought! But is it true?
It’s certainly true for individuals suffering from anxiety, depression, or dementia. And it appears to be true for those with ADD or ADHD as well.
One clinical trial with 120 children and adolescents showed lower adherence to a Mediterranean type diet, including lower frequency of consuming vegetables, fruit, pasta, and fatty fish; and higher consumption of sugar, candy, cola, and noncola soft drinks, as well as skipping breakfast and eating more often at fast-food restaurants, were all associated with a higher likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28138007/
The influence of diet was further examined in another analysis of 134 children aged 6‒12 with symptoms of ADHD. In this study they found that total vegetable and fruit intake was “inversely associated” with severity of inattention. In other words, the more veggies and fruit they consumed the better their attention span.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35535573/
Although some fruits and vegetables are better than others, and too much sugar too fast from fruit can overload cells, making them resistant to absorption and detrimental to the brain.
Most people do not realize that when too much sugar is consumed too fast, it cannot be absorbed into our cells fast enough, and will either be stored as fat, or it will be circulated in our blood (we call this high blood sugar).
However, circulating sugar/glucose can damage essential proteins in our brain through a process called glycation, leading to damage not only to our brain but to other organs of our body. (While the article linked to above was written for seniors, the same process occurs in children, and while they note various supplements that may help, the simplest way to avoid this in children, is to simply reduce their consumption of sugar.)
We call this condition diabetes. And as most people know diabetes or chronic high blood sugar cannot only damage our eyes, kidneys, and circulatory system, but also our brain, resulting in cell death and cerebral shrinkage which can eventually affect our ability to concentrate, pay attention, and remember.
Thus, this process is now recognized as being not just a major contributor to dementia in the elderly, but also to ADD & ADHD in children and adults. And children with childhood diabetes are at much greater risk for developing dementia sooner as they age.
Dr. Amen, understands this process and agrees with the above noted study findings re the importance of vegetables and fruits, with some exceptions; noting that healthier fruit include “apricots, oranges, tangerines, apples, pears and kiwi,” and most berries, black, blue, red etc. But he suggests avoiding or minimizing grapes, dates and bananas, as their sugar content is usually higher, with this added note:
“Most people think they can have an unlimited amount of fruit and fruit juices. [But] most fruits are very high in natural sugar (fructose), which can have the same effect on blood sugar as sugar strait out of a box. Fruit is better than fruit juices because of the extra vitamins and fiber you get, but you can overdue fruit and feel sluggish and mentally slowed down.” (p. 229)
For him the preferred vegetables include those with more fiber, protein, and fats such as beans (especially black beans and kidney beans), peas, bell peppers, avocados and carrots in moderation, as they are higher in sugar and whole grains, “no white bread or bread with added sugar.” Although most vegetables provide healthy fiber and nutrients. We call these complex carbohydrates, as opposed to simple carbohydrates that have been “processed” and had most of their fibers (which slow down sugar release) removed.
Overall, Dr. Amen’s bias, which he advocates for in his books and videos (as do most other experts is this field), is for foods that are higher in protein and healthy fats, as well as complex carbohydrates (whole fruits and veggies with their fibers intact), all of which slow down the release of sugars into the body, which enables our bodies to utilize these sugars to create energy for thinking and remembering, without damaging proteins on our body and brain.
Again, we would encourage you to obtain a copy of Dr. Amen’s latest book Healing ADD Revised Edition: The Breakthrough Program that Allows You to See and Heal the 7 Types of ADD, as we don’t have the room, nor the permission to quote extensively from that book, but here are a few more of his recommendations as well as a few from others, for the types of food that individuals with ADD or ADHD, may benefit from eating, and others they likely ought to avoid.
First, foods to avoid especially for breakfast: Refined simple carbs (with their fiber’s removed) such a muffins, donuts, Pop-Tarts, bagels, cinnamon rolls and sugary cereals (with more than 6 grams of sugar per serving). These make it harder for kids or adults with ADD to concentrate, during the day. (Kashi or Cascade cereal typically do not contain sugar nor do raw rolled oats.)
Protein rich food: These break down slower than simple carbs, providing more energy over time – healthy fish, poultry, eggs (range free best), cheese, low or no sugar yogurt or Kefir, beans, most nuts, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia, hemp or flax), squash with orange meat, yams, tomatoes, cantaloup, and leafy green vegetables. (Most nut and seed butters are good, so long as they do not contain hydrogenated oils of any kind, or excessive added sugar, Kirkland’s/Cosco’s Mixed Nut Butter, is a good example) with modest amounts of whole grain/seed or sprouted bread. Most protein powders are good as well, especially ones with creatine.
Fatty Food: Again these provide energy over a longer period. Fish like wild caught salmon, cod, mackerel, and smaller fish like sardines, and anchovies, and farm raised tuna, all contain Omega-3 fatty acids, important for brain maintenance and function. Flax, hemp and chia seeds do also, as well as various nuts, walnuts, almonds, Macadamia, Brazil, cashew, coconut, and pistachios, as well as Avocados, and olives.
Some of the best oils to use in food preparation include extra virgin olive oil for salads, and avocado or coconut oil for cooking.
Avoid soy oils, corn or vegetable oils, Canola oil, and any hydrogenated, even partially hydrogenated oils, should be avoided.
Other advice from Dr. Amen and others include:
1, Eat three meals a day and one or two healthy snacks.
2. Eat protein at each meal – especially egg with yolks, cheese, nuts, and beans.
3. Increase the amount of complex carbohydrates in your diet.
These are primarily foods with fibers, as found in vegetables and whole grains, and high fiber fruit like apples, apricots and Kiwi.
4. Watch fruit and fruit juice intake.
5. Reduce or eliminate most simple carbohydrates or highly processed foods. (These include bread or pasta made with white flour, rice white or brown, white potatoes, sugar, corn syrup, honey in large amounts or candy, pie, ice cream or anything else high in sugar.)
6. Increase the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. You may want to augment your dietary fish with a high quality fish or cod liver oil, as well as hemp hearts, walnuts and some, but not too many, Brazil nuts (as they are high in selenium, which is helpful for our immune system but too much may not be too good for some.)
