Diet and ADHD Ric Gibbons, ADHD Association of Greater Edmonton January 6, 2016

Introduction  Parent of 9 Year Old Son with ADHD, SPD, and Written and Spoken Language  Sports Training and Nutrition Start  No Formal Medical or Diet Related Education  CAUTION  There are many highly technical terms requiring advanced knowledge and skill to work through  Presented for discussion and consideration only  AAGE nor I endorse any particular dietary therapies  Work with healthcare professionals and researchers

Objectives  Research Supported Focal Points  Connect key points  Anecdotal observations  Additional topics / Future considerations  Discussion/Questions

Topics of Interest  Specific nutrients to focus on  Essential Fatty Acids – part of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)  EFAs are Omega-3 and Omega-6  Molecular level transport of nutrients  Ion Channel gating  Relatively new field of science

Research  Finding good diet-focused ADHD research is problematic  Funding and interest gap  Contrary research findings can be had on any topic  Weak ADHD and diet correlation suggested by some research  E.g British Psychological Society publication, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosis and Management of ADHD in Children, Young People and Adults, chapter 9 (5 pages) – Dietary Interventionshttp://  Poor correlations not considered here  How will you treat such research and information?

Millichap and Yee - The Diet Factor in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder  Millichap is a physician and Yee a pediatric nurse in Northwestern University’s Pediatric Neurology division  15 page (69 references) literature review via PubMed, from  Subcategories are:  Omega-3 and -6 Fatty Acid Supplements  Additive and Salicylate-free (Feingold) Diet  Oligoantigenic (Hypoallergenic/Elimination) Diet  Food Antigen Desensitization  Sugar, Aspartame, and ADHD – includes Ketogenic Diet (High fat/Low carb)  Iron Deficiency and ADHD  Zinc Deficiency and ADHD  Other Alternative Dietary Therapies for ADHD  “… alternative and/or complementary methods may warrant trial, including a “healthy” diet pattern,1 elimination of dyes or food antigens, or omega-3 PUFA supplementation.”

Stephanie Seneff - Is ADHD Caused by Insufficient Dietary Fat?  Biophysics undergrad, masters in Electrical Engineering, and Ph.D in EE and Computing Science – all from MIT  MIT Research Scientist now focusing more on biology, who uses data and natural language processing to drive research -  17 page paper (38 references) from  Asserts that low dietary fat and limited sun exposure has resulted in the rise of ADHD – think of the low fat diets of the 1980s-1990s  Treats and brings together many ADHD factors, such as  Prevalence in boys  Sleep disorders  Hyperactivity

Ion Channels and ADHD  Ion Channels – how cellular nutrients and ions are able to be regulated  Ion channels are key molecular components of the nervous system  Many nutrients are involved  Some nutrient processes work differently in those with ADHD

Li, Wong, and Liu – Ligand-gated Ion Channel Interacting Proteins and Their Role in Neuroprotection  2014 article in frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience by UofT research scientists, with 15 pages and 45 references  “Ligand-gated ion channels are oligomeric protein assemblies that convert a chemical signal into an ion flux through the post-synaptic membrane, and are involved in basic brain functions such as attention, learning, and memory (Ashcroft, 2006).”  “This network of molecular interactions allows for complex signal processing by neurons and also reveals new targets for pharmacological manipulation of neuron function that may be clinically useful. Knowledge of ion channel interactions has progressed rapidly and more such interactions are likely to emerge.”

Sara Börjesson - Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Modifying Ion Channel Voltage Gating  2011 Linköping University Medical Dissertation, 51 pages and 200+ references -  Focuses on epilepsy as the result of diseased neuronal excitability – a process underpinned by ion channels and PUFAs.  Shows Ketogenic diet has positive impact on ion channel gating in epilepsy patients  Much recent research and news articles put Epilepsy together with ADHD

Future Topics  Blood/brain barrier  Growth, sleep, and activity levels and rates in pre-adolescence  Medication titration and cycling  Your topics?

Questions and Discussion  Sharing your own findings and expertise  Contact me at  Thank you and good luck!

Other References     ctivity_disorder_.28ADHD.29 ctivity_disorder_.28ADHD.29    epilepsy-also-has-adhd-symptoms-study epilepsy-also-has-adhd-symptoms-study