Feingold Program | ADHD Information

Hi there -- I have read a lot about the Feingold program, and the upshot seems to be that it probably is helpful for a certain percentage of kids with ADHD to eliminate artificial colors and such from their diets.

There was a meta-analysis by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (very interesting stuff in there about who funded which studies of these issues -- the food manufacturers' associations a lot of times!) and the outcome was that artificial colors and preservatives probably do have an adverse effect for some percentage of folks. It wasn't overwhelmingly conclusive, as I remember it, but leaned toward eliminating them.

Feingold itself is a really strict regimen, and we have not even tried to eliminate natural foods like apples and grapes that have salicylates -- something else the Feingold program says is part of the sensitivity problem. We do, however, get the Feingold materials and try to steer clear of artificial colorings as much as possible. I think it helps, but it's not clear-cut because you never know when something might have snuck into his diet that shouldn't have been there.

On the whole, however, I can't see the harm in cutting back on petroleum-based dyes in our food!!

Has anyone ever heard of the feingold program?  If so, do you know if it is successful?

I have heard of it.  One lady told me it worked, I have never tried it.