Can Allergies Cause Behavior Problems?

You may have heard conflicting information on this subject. There are many, many parents who swear dietary changes helped their ADD child, and yet most doctors and researchers deny that food allergies or sensitivities can cause the behaviors associated with ADD, their conclusions supposedly based on studies. If allergies can cause ADD behaviors, then shouldn't the studies verify that? The answer is yes, if the studies were designed properly. But according to The Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), most of the studies which show no relationship between diet and ADHD were very poorly designed and executed (and often paid for by the food industry). For example, when researchers tested whether children reacted to artificial food dyes made from petroleum, they used only a fraction of the quantity that children actually consume, because no one actually took the time to figure out how much dye kids actually eat. Then they only tested one dye at at time, even though kids consume many dyes simultaneously. And finally, all the results were averaged together. If one or two children out of fifty reacted to the dyes, their reactions were lost in the pile of data from all the other children. Even so, studies as far back as the 1940's show that some people definitely react to certain colors, especially Yellow #5 (Tartrazine), a color that is well known for causing reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin. CSPI, a non-profit group of scientists, reviewed 25 years of studies and issued a report in 1999 that concludes ADHD CAN be caused by foods and food additives.

After reading books, studies, and talking with affected parents I am convinced that some people (not just kids!) are reacting to foods and food additives by exhibiting ADD behavior. Not all, but some. Which people are most likely to be reacting to a food?

ALLERGIC people (stuffy nose, eczema, asthma).
People who often do not feel well or who are depressed
Kids with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome, who seem happy one moment and suddenly, without provocation, become a nasty wildebeest (provocation includes asking the child to clean his or her room).
Kids with dark circles under their eyes ("allergy shiners").
Kids who were colicky past the age of four months and were unhappy babies.
Kids with chronic sleeping problems.
People with reoccurent infections (ear, chest, sinus)
What kind of reactions have been observed in children? (Note: adults undoubtedly react too!)

hyperactivity
trouble sleeping
tantrums, aggressive behavior, screaming
whining, crying, not feeling well
poor handwriting
very tiny handwriting
inability to concentrate
dyslexics may reverse letters or do "mirror" writing while reacting
digestive upset (bloating, belching, gagging, vomiting, constipation, nausea, gas)
headaches
wheezing, runny or itchy nose, scratchy eyes, coughing
depression
non-stop, senseless talk
reoccurrent infections: ear, chest, sinus
bright red earlobes, red patches on cheeks
dark circles, wrinkles and/or bags under the eyes
eczema, hives, rashes
The above reactions have been induced in children by "challenging" them with a known allergen and then halted by neutralizing the reaction. The book "Is This Your Child? Discovering and Treating Unrecognized Allergies in Children and Adults" by Doris Rapp, M.D., does a wonderful job of describing reactions, ways to identify allergens, and tells how to treat them. The author has had many years of experience and doesn't just provide quick, pat answers, but helps people really figure out what to do. What I found really fascinating were the pictures of children's handwriting samples and drawings before, during and after their reactions. The changes were astounding. The author is somewhat critical of mainstream allergists who rush people in and out and do not use the best methods to detect allergies because they are too time consuming.

Allergies are a really tough thing to deal with. You can't just go to a professional and assume that they will magically find all your allergies and treat them. Allergists MAY find some of your allergies, but the tests used are extremely unpredictable. You can be allergic to something and very easily test negative. This is especially true for milk allergies, because milk is broken down into many different substances in the digestive tract before it is absorbed into the blood stream, and you could be allergic to any one of those substances. A quick allergy test can often identify some of the items you are allergic to. Just remember, however, that it is a STARTING point only. Finding out what you or your child is allergic to can very easily take months of careful dietary manipulation and recordkeeping. Helpful hint: The food you are most likely to be allergic to is the one you crave and eat most often (it's true!)

More at: http://borntoexplore.org/allergies.htm

Contrary to what the above article states - I know a cure or effective cure for 80% of allergies. I also suffered the issues noted above with Yellow Dye #5 and it worked for me. The situation was borne from taking vitamin supplements prescribed by a doctor. The Yellow Dye in that particular vitamin was what built up in my body and almost led to me having to have epenephrine to open my breathing passages because the hives were so large.

But when seeking a booster shot in Canada I was told they had never heard about yeast desensitization treatment. Not surprisingly this clinic was making a whole lot of money from the sufferers who could have been cured. It was Canada's top center for such things. About two years later they called to get more information of it. I presume someone offered a lot of money for a real treatment.

I have read recent journals and books to see there is some discussion about it - but little appears to be proceeding to make it available - just too damn inexpensive and requires six months of watching one's diet for anything with yeast (crabs and some sea foods too).