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Hi Listies!

The following is a summary of the need of going gf for both the ADD/ADHD and
ODD (attentional deficit disorder/ attentional deficit hyperactivity
disorder and opposition defiance disorder).  The results were overwhelming
to go on a gf and/or cf diet to see the results.  There is both anecdotal
evidence and research to support.  Some parents may choose to medicate
rather than deal with issues of diet.  That is the parent's decision.
Below, you will see the overwhelming pros as well as the few cons.  I
encourage you to go to the websites mentioned.  You will find much
supportive and illuminating evidence there.

Happy reading!

Chris

**********************************

In my research, I discovered that a Japanese professor found that in one
molecule of gluten, no less than 13 opioid chain reactions can occur in the
brain. That is, mind-bending addictive reactions. Fortunately it does not
affect everyone in this way. But it can be at the root cause of people who
suffer from ADD, ADHD, and even schizophrenia. There have been studies in UK
where schizophrenic patients have been put on a gluten-free diet and they
can return to normal life. As soon as they go off the diet, they become ill
again and have to be hospitalized.

(Chairperson, Gluten Intolerance/Coeliac Support Group, Durban, South
Africa)
Web Page: http://www.labspec.co.za/coeliac/index.htm

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My son was never diagnosed with Celiac. He tested negative after I was
diagnosed with the disease two years ago. All his life, he was had immense
problems with compliying with rules.  Some thought he had ADD. We tried
ritalin, but that only made things worse.  He was so difficult that he was
thrown out of day care at three years old,  thrown out of Montessori after 4
days, and had to go to a special school for some years, then I home schooled
for several years.   He tested in the 150 IQ range.

          Finally, after I started a gluten free diet, everyone in the house
had to become gluten free because I was not going to cook different meals.
He was 16 at the time.   After being gluten free, his whole demeanor
changed.  He became more focused, less disruptive, less active.  He felt
stronger, slept better.  He loved the gluten free diet and has tried to
abide by it since. He is now in college, doing well,  but not on a strict
gluten free diet because of the difficulty in eating GF in a cafeteria.  I
feel that some day he will develop the disease and test positive.  There are
probably many kids out there with this problem.  It certainly wouldn't hurt
anything to try the diet.  The only problem is that it is very difficult to
eliminate all the gluten and just a bit could ruin the whole trial.

***************************

I have been ADHD since many years before the term.  Been on the Feingold
diet for.... lets just say decades! I don't know what the correlation would
be in medical terms, or if anyone could say "this is why it works", but I've
noticed I'm feeling less "cranked" since going GF.  Whether this is because
of my diet being GF, or because there's less opportunity to induldge in
forbidden foods that were easy to cheat with, I don't know, but it isn't
worth worrying about. I just go with the flow and feel happy I've found yet
another dietary assist.

*****************************

I have a child with bipolar disorder and psychotic illness - also adhd -
she's 13. I can tell you that the gluten free , casein free diet without a
doubt makes a HUGE difference in her behavior. It took a little while to
help in that regard. Initially her symptoms worsened, but we persevered and
soon saw tremendous differences. She's been gf for 10 months now and when
ever she accidentally ( or deliberately - like today) ingests gluten is has
horrific affects on her behavior. In fact, we've had a very difficult day
today.

There is research to back this up - I'm attaching links to several web sites
which can point you in the right direction. I used to have a lot of
information from the web, but no longer do. I'm so sorry. I hope some of
these links help you find some of what your looking for.

http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/reichelt.html

http://www.links2go.net/more/www.wwwebguides.com/nutrition/diets/glutenfree/
menta.html

http://www.eegspectrum.com/books/vhmalabs.htm

http://www.alphanutrition.com/celiac/celiacbrain.htm

http://www.brookeline.com/gluten/

http://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/autism/

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~sdengate/contents.html

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See gfcfdiet.com, again.  They can help you.  And go to ANDI site from
there.  Lots of research on gluten-free, casein-free (milk) helping "autism
spectrum", which includes ADD/ADHD, and ODD.

********************************************

My son was misdiagnosed.  He does not have ADD/ADHD he has Celiac disease.
Giving a child Ritalin or some other drug for ADHD when they don't have it
could cause grand mal seizures and brain damage.  I'm just lucky I got a
diagnosis before they killed his brain.  Very dangerous to diagnose
ADD/ADHD. I did not know I had gluten intolerance.  My father died from
celiac disease (lymphoma cancer).  None of his MD's ever even guessed what
was wrong.  Because his Dad (my grandfather) died when my Dad was 2 years
old we did not have the genetic disease trail others who are more fortunate
have.  This issue is resolved much better in Europe than the US.  Many
children are being drugged needlessly in the US.  Also autistic children are
now being put on the gluten free diet and seeing improvement.  Very
complicated stuff . . .  I sincerely hope this helps.  My son after 2 years
on the gluten free diet is a happy healthy 8th grader.  He has grown and his
mind is clear.

Vancouver WA

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You might
1.  check the archives
2.  Scott Adams website www.celiac.com.
3.  Gluten Intolerance Group website www.gluten.net

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I don't know why, but I have a neighbor and she has her 1st grader on a gf
diet for the same reason.  She says there is a difference like night and day
when her daughter eats wheat.

 OHIO

************************************************************

Many children with ADHD are benefiting from the GF diet in the same way that
many children with autism do.  In fact several doctors doing research in the
Us have moved the ADHD diagnosis into the autistic spectrum of disorders.

I have two sons diagnosed with ADHD and a daughter who was considered
probably until we put them all on GFCF diets.  Later researched taught us
that there is a symptom of IgG mediated allergy which affects the brain and
is termed cerebral allergy response.  Many children diagnosed with ADHD
probably actually have CAR instead.  The symptoms are identical.  When a
child is being considered as ADHD, the DSM IV instructions doctors to
conduct testing to rule out biological causes for the symptoms they see.
Most doctors don't do that.  Some don't even know that there is blood
testing available to verify or disprove allergies.

There is also some theory being research that states that when the
stomach cannot properly handle gluten and/or casein, larger than usual
protein chains pass into the blood system causing a response in the
brain.  Some may know this as Leaky Gut Syndrome.  In LGS, the reaction
caused by the proteins can create all sorts of symptoms from zoning to
hyper behaviour, vocalizing, enuresis and more.  The most severe
reaction to this problem is what some see as a "true" autistic - no
verbal, self-stimming, uncontrollable.  In one of it's least severe
forms, it can produce what looks like ADHD.

I say bravo to the parents for trying this and I wish them and the teacher
great success in using dietary measures to help this student succeed in a
much more positive way.  Unfortunately this puts something of a burden on
the teacher as she will have to help the student become vigilant about
everything that goes into him from food to licking stickers and she may even
have to create a "safe" place for him to eat away from the other kids at
meals because of the gluten in the air from sandwiches, cookies, and so on.
If she truly wants to support this child she will be very careful about what
snacks come into the classroom for special treats on special days and she
will be sure to advise mum of those special days so that an alternative can
be provided for Johnny/Janie.  But then you all know that drill anyway.

*******************************************

For some reason, sensitivity to gliadin is common among kids with ADD, ADHD,
& autism.  When my 11yo daughter went to a developmental pediatrician to be
evaluated for her ADD, the doctor ran lab tests before seeing her.  The
tests were for anti-gliadin antibodies, anti-caesin antibodies (many of
these kids also cannot drink milk), thyroid tests, etc.  My daughter came up
anti-gliadin IgG positive, IgA negative -so not truly celiac, but our ped
gastroenterologist put her on a gf diet to see what would happen.  Within 3
days, Lauren could pay attention and read better.  Within 2 weeks, the
diarrhea she had had for 2 years (and which we had blamed on her diagnosis
of Crohn's disease) stopped.  She  really does have Crohn's disease too,
but apparently, the gf diet allowed her gut to heal - and her Crohn's meds
were able to be cut by more than half and she grew for the first time in 2
years.  (Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the small
intestine that causes diarrhea, belly pain, etc). Of course, hardly any
ADD/ADHD kids have Crohn's disease - it's pretty uncommon.

But, bottom line, Lauren's school work/attentiveness were helped noticably
by the GF diet.  We now know that she is very sensitive to wheat - small
contaminants or hidden ingredients cause days of diarrhea for her.  Perhaps
she and these other kids are IgA deficient, thus testing negative for
anti-gliadin IgA (she has never been tested for total IgA).

Her developmental pediatrician's web site is www.megson.com - Dr. Megson
specializes in kids with autism and ADD, and speaks at conferences
world-wide.

Virginia.

*****************************************

I am a mother of a celiac child.  Gluten-free (GF) diets are used to treat
celiac disease, and austism.  Children with both of these disorders exhibit
a lot of the same symptoms as ADHD, irritability, lack of concentration,
mood swings etc.

I can only speak for celiac disease but just changing the diet made my
daughter's personality change in just a few weeks.  She no longer cried when
I left her at school she played with the other children, it was amazing.  I
do not know if there is a correlation between and gluten and ADHD or if
maybe they are seeing if his problem really is ADHD and not celiac.  But,
certainly testing to see if diet helps before drugging a kid is a good idea.

*********************************************

Here's a link to a scientific thesis on the subject:

  http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/hoggan/adhd.txt


From personal experience, I would direct you to the story about my
daughter's ADHD and problems with milk:

  http://www.nowheat.com/grfx/nomilk/

and then add the further note that, since the last update, my daughter's
behavior decayed again at the end of last year (from September through
December) to worse than it was originally -- this after four years of doing
better and better. My pediatrician suggested we put her on a gluten-free
diet, and, just as with milk (as in the story at the link above), the very
next day we saw a remarkable improvement.

The gluten-free and casein-free diet is also used for autistic children (see
http://www.gfcfdiet.com). Though autism and ADHD are not the same thing,
they are both behavioral problems; it seems that food allergies may play a
big part in behavioral issues of all kinds. A good book on the subject is
Doris Rapp's "Is This Your Child?"

**********************************************

celiac disease (gluten intolerance) is one of many causes for the
behavior problem called ADHD in children.  Food allergies,
sensitivities, undiagnosed diseases such as fibromyalgia, sensitivity to
salycylates, etc.  are other things that can cause ADHD.  I'm a nurse &
I'm totally convinced the ADHD is not a primary disease, but rather a
symptom of some other disease process.  Gluten intolerance messes up the
brain & attenntion span of children because gluten (wheat protein) is
not completely digested & assimmilated.  Fragments of the gluten along
with many other undigested protein fragments enter the blood stream &
can cause havoc on the nervous system of the celiac child who eat wheat,
rye or barley.  This child is lucky to have parents who are taking a pro
active position on treating him.  Most parents would rather take the
lazy way out & give him Ritalin.

*******************************************

I have been on this List for four years and have done my own reseach into
gluten and Autism, Schizophrenia, and other conditions.  During that time I
received a number of messages from other Listmembers, and came across a
number of references to gluten and ADD and ADHD.

I was curious when at least two of my mother's grandchildren were labeled,
and my own son has schizophrenia.  Before I was diagnosed I felt like I was
going crazy and out-of-control mentally.  I was grinding my teeth, and
feeling totally scattered.  Once diagnosed I went gluten-free and the
symptoms have gone away.

*************************************************

I don't know any specific medical evidence, but my husband has ADD and it
has been a nightmare to live with for 8 years - then when My 3 yr old
daughter was diagnosed with celiac sprue - which I also have, he decided it
would be easier if he did the diet with us. Let me tell you everyone noticed
a difference. He is a totally new person, and when he goes on a trip out of
town and eats what ever he wants, I can't stand him for about a week. He is
irratable, can't listen to a full sentence, goes to do one task and does
something else totally forgetting what is was he was supposed to do.... the
list goes on. But it does wear off on the diet.

We have been arguing and thinking divorce for about 5 years, and this diet
has saved our marriage. I know a lot of people have consentration and memory
problems, but ADD is so much worse - not only me trying to keep up with his
"jumping thoughts" but for him constantly being caught in a "mistake" either
at work or at home it makes him want to commit suicide. Now he is starting
to be more confidant and actually is "learning" things... about how to take
care and be safety causious with our daughter. His lack of concentration
endangered her fequently from leaving her in her basinet in a parking lot -
right where the cars drive while he looked for something in the trunk, to
leaving her unbuckled and driving her to daycare. I don't wnat to belittle
him because we know it is a physical problem. But I just want to illustrate,
that for whatever reason, the gluten free diet is a GOD-SEND for us in
regards to his ADD.

**************************************

Yes, there is a lot of evidence of improvement for ADD and/or autistic kids
on a gluten-free, casein-free diet (casein is a protein in milk)!   I
recommend the following websites:

www.glutenfree.com/autism.htm

www.gfcfdiet.com

Both excellent resources for someone embarking on a gluten/casein free (or
just gluten-free) diet. One of my best friends has an autistic/ADD child who
has shown tremendous improvement on the diet.  It's definitely worth
checking into.

*****************************************

Here is a link that has a few articles on this connection.  It's on my site
under the Information section, under "Support & Information."  The
particular link is GFLinks.com where this link is found.  Ron Hoggan is
quite an expert on the relationships between gluten and several ills:
http://www.gluten-free.org/hoggan/add.

************************************************

My son is ADHD with some minor sensory dysfunction and we are now finding
out he has celiac disease.  I don't know that much yet, but I think the
gluten damages the lining of the small intestine so that you get "leaky gut"
and food is not fully digested so undigested food particles get into the
blood stream and irritate the central nervous system and that celiac disease
causes malabsorption of nutrients and the resulting deficiencies affect
behavior.  I've read that some cases of ADHD and autism are actually
undiagnosed celiac disease and that no treatment will work until the gluten
is removed from the diet and sometimes when the gluten is removed the
improvement is so great that no further treatment is needed.

***************************************************

Yep, there is a high correlation between the ingestion of gluten and the
behaviors associated with ADHD. He should actually be gluten free and dairy
free. Gluten also causes or worsens autism in many children. And the GF diet
has been shown to help a large percentage of schizophrenics also.

**************************************

Visit a very good and exhaustive search engine like www.google.com and
enter just the two words "ahds" and "gluten" in the search box. That
returns about 1600 entries.  Here's an obvious one to start with:
http://www.adhd-relief.net/  This site is commercial -- they are
definitely selling a program -- but there seems to be some amount of
fairly neutral information.  They obviously believe gluten is causitive.
But balance it with other opinions.  Here is the NIH page on ADHD:

  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm

The NIH is of course necessarily conservative (and properly so) and they can
neither confirm nor deny the link:  Scroll down to and read:  "Controversial
Treatments".  (Well, if I were a parent of a ADHD child, the NIH statement
probably wouldn't stop me from cutting gluten for a couple weeks to see if
the condition improves...  It is more benign than drug treatments.)

Visit www.yahoo.com and click down to the Health then to the Diseases
category.  If the disease of interest isn't listed (ADHD is not) then search
"just this category" for something related like "ADD".  That gives many
references, including specific reference to ADHD.  Prowl around and I'm sure
you'll find other useful materials.

Berkeley CA

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This website: gfcfdiet.com describes benefits of a gluten-free, casein-free
diet for autistics.  The "Autism Spectrum" now includes ADD/ADHD in the low
end of the spectrum.  For children with hyperactivity/ADD/ADHD, removing
gluten and casein (milk protein) from the diet is extraordinarily
beneficial.

******************************************

I haven't followed up on this topic because it doesn't apply to my kids.
But I do know that many parents have reported that following a gluten
free/casein free diet can have profound positive effects on kids with ADHD
and autism.  There is a list like the one you posted to on yahoo that is for
parents of kids following this diet.  It's called something like
"GFCFRecipes" or something at least starting with those 4 letters -- if you
do a search, I'm sure you can find it and post to their list -- this should
enable you to get a lot of good info about it . . .

*******************************************

I am a celiac sprue and I live in ND.  The disease, when I am eating
anything with any gluten in it, affects my mind and my actions.  I
become extremely depressed. I am an accountant, and find that my mind
works at about 3/4 speed.  I also become irritable and have short-term
memory loss.  There are many other symptoms that other C/S patients have
that I don't have, and I have some that others don't have.  That's what
makes this disease so difficult to diagnose.  But ADD or ADHD is more
and more being found as a result of eating glutinous items for Celiac
Sprue patients.

When I am on a totally gluten-free diet, all those symptoms disappear.  The
key here is TOTALLY gluten-free.  There are lots of hidden gluten items in
food - malt flavoring, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, modified food starch,
as well as the wheat, oats, barley and rye in any forms.

I don't know the medical reason why this happens.  C/S disease immediately
affects the villi in our intestinal tract, affecting how we absorb
nutrients. But it is also an auto-immune disease, which affects our bodies
differently from an allergy.

This disease is very underdiagnosed in the US right now.  It is believed
that one in 250 people probably have it.  This disease is probably in the
public eye like diabetes was 50 years ago - most people hadn't even heard of
it and many people died as a result of having it without ever knowing. In
the USA, the average length of time from presenting with symptoms to
diagnosis is 7 to 10 years.  Compare that to Europe where the average time
is 2 weeks.  They are FAR ahead of us.  (I heard that in Italy, every
school-age child is given a  test to see if they have C/S.)

*********************************************

Go to the web site--------www.celiac.com  There you will find your answer.

**************************************

It won't make a difference in most cases.  If the child has celiac disease,
following a gluten free diet, thereby avoiding malnutrition and low blood
glucose levels due to malfunctioning intestines, will obviously improve his
or her ability to cope with learning situations.  The only thing that really
helps me without causing bad side effects is lots and lots of coffee.
(ADHD adult, age 56)

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You will probably get more helpful letters from parents whose children have
ADHD but be aware that sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.

***********************************************************

All I know is that I have two Celiac daughters and a non-Celiac son with
ADHD. We tried the gluten free diet for him a few years ago and it did
absolutely nothing.

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There have been a number of 'anecdotal' events where adopting a celiac
diet has improved the health of children with both autism and ADHD. So,
far the medical community is taking a largely wait and see attitude.
Try - http://www.kessick.demon.co.uk/aia.html

**********************************************************************

I just got this website.  Check it out. You may find it helpful!

http://www.eegspectrum.com/books/vhmalabs.htm

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There is a lot of research to support this.  Go to:  Celiac Support Page:
http://www.celiac.com/ .   Then click on:  Diseases Which Resemble Celiac
Disease and Related Disorders

****************************************************

Check out the GFCFKids site.  I think they will have the information you
need.  Idaho

**************************************************

As a retired psychologist, (several careers ago) I had to smile at this one.

Oppositional defiance disorder is a lovely example of defining the symptoms
without any regard for the cause.  I think a simpler way of saying it is
'stubborn and probably uncomfortable'.

This type of behaviour could very well be evidence of stress and discomfort
brought on by the effects of gluten.  It might also be a response to sugar,
food colouring, etc.

My guess is that the child is frustrated and uncomfortable.  Giving the
behaviour a name like ODD tends to make it appear as if it is a legitimate
disorder.  The child is much in need of an enlightened examination of its
intake of food, influences in the environment - gases, lighting, etc.

Might be enlightened to simply ask him if he has a tummy ache.

*******************************************************

Oh, yes, and look up Dr. Alessio Fassano's research, University of Maryland.
He understands celiac, and behavior problems in children.

****************************

I think Scully's Living Without magazine has an article on food additives
and colorings having something to do with it - maybe wheat too, because that
is the general idea of the whole magazine. The article was called
"controlling behavior through diet".

St. Louis