Food intolerance and the few-foods(or oligoantigenic)diet in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

The hypothesis that some children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)may show sensitivity or allergic reactions to various food items has led to the development of the the few-foods(or oligoantigenic)diet.The rationale of the diet is to eliminate certain foods from the diet in order to exclude potential allergens contained either naturally in food or in artificial ingredients with allergenic properties.The oligoantigenic diet attempts to identify individual foods to which a person might be sensitive.First,ADHD symptoms are monitored while multiple foods are excluded from the diet.Subsequently,if symptoms remit,foods are re-introduced,while observing the individual for the return of symptoms.An advantage of the oligoantigenic diet is that it can be tailored to the individual.A growing body of evidence suggests that behavioral symptoms of subgroups of children with ADHD may benefit from the elimination of certain foods.The effect sizes of an oligoantigenic diet regarding improvement of ADHD symptoms have been found to be medium to large.Available evidence suggests that the investigation of the role of food hypersensitivities in ADHD is a promising avenue worthy of further exploration.Further large-scale,randomized controlled studies including assessment of long-term outcome are therefore warranted.

Alterations of attention and impulsivity in the rat following a transgenerational decrease in dietary omega-3 fatty acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs),particularly the omega-3 PUFAs,are thought to be involved in neuronal processes,to play a role in neurodevelopmental disorders and to be important for the integrity of central nervous system functioning.The present study investigated the effects of nutritional omega-3 PUFAs on attentional functions and impulsive behavior in Wistar rats.For this purpose,female Wistar rats were fed an omega-3 deficient diet over several generations,and the dams of the seventh generation were randomly assigned to two diet groups and fed an omega-3 deficient or an omega-3 sufficient diet.In addition,a group of previously untreated dams was fed an omega-3 sufficient diet.The male offspring of these three diet groups were tested using an established paradigm for the assessment of attention and impulsive behavior,i.e.a modified version of the five-choice-serial-reaction-time task(5CSRTT).The present data show that the deficiency of omega-3 PUFAs over generations led to substantial changes in attentional processes and impulsive behaviors.The impairments associated with an omega-3 deficiency were partly corrected by treatment with the omega-3 sufficient diet in the last generation of the omega-3 deficient group which showed substantial improvements in attention parameters.While there were no significant effects of dietary modifications on psychomotor activity levels,there was some evidence for changes in impulsive behavior.In conclusion,transgenerational dietary changes in the availability of omega-3 PUFAs led to changes in attentional processes and impulsive behavior in rats,supporting the hypothesis that omega-3 PUFAs play a role in cognitive and behavioral processes.The present findings offer a promising approach in the investigation of the role of omega-3 PUFAs in a variety of cognitive and behavioral domains.

Ketogenic diets and Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by decline in cognitive functions and associated with the neuropathological hallmarks of amyloid-peptide plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.Cerebral glucose uptake and metabolism deteriorate in AD and this hypometabolism precedes the onset of clinical signs in AD.The early decline in brain glucose metabolism in AD has become a potential target for therapeutic intervention.This has led to investigations assessing the supplementation of the normal glucose supply with ketone bodies which are produced by the body during glucose deprivation and can be metabolized by the brain when glucose utilization is impaired.The present review provides a synopsis of preclinical studies and clinical trials assessing the efficacy of ketogenic diets in the treatment of AD.Both the direct administration of ketone bodies and the use of high-fat,low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been shown to be efficacious in animal models of AD and clinical trials with AD patients.The mechanism underlying the efficacy of ketogenic diets remains unclear,but some evidence points to the normalization of aberrant energy metabolism.At present there is only limited evidence of the usefulness of ketogenic diets in AD.However,this dietary approach seems to be promising and deserves further clinical investigations.

Diet and food in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Deficiencies of nutrients,including vitamins,minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids,and surpluses of food items,such as sucrose and artificial food additives,have not convincingly been shown to be involved in the etiology of ADHD.At group level,there is no conclusive evidence supporting dietary interventions for the treatment of ADHD.The identification of a role of food compounds in ADHD is hindered by the complex and ill-defined nature of ADHD.In view of the heterogeneity of the disorder,potential therapeutic benefits of nutritional interventions could be confined to subpopulations of children with ADHD as yet unidentified.The cumulative benefits of the range of ingredients comprising healthy diets may result in better outcomes compared to a supplementation of individual nutrients.Diet and nutrition interact with other lifestyle factors,such as physical activity,and the interrelationship between nutrition and lifestyle should play a more prominent role in research on treatment approaches to ADHD.The few-foods or oligoallergenic diet allows the design of individually tailored diets and may offer treatment opportunities in subgroups of children diagnosed with ADHD.Further research is required to demonstrate the utility of nutrition-related interventions alone or in combination with other treatment approaches in ADHD.

Sport and physical exercise in sustainable mental health care of common mental disorders:Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

The large-scale disruptions to physical activity during the coronavirus pandemic have been found to be a leading predictor of common mental disorders.In addition,regular physical exercise has been found to alleviate anxiety,sadness and depression during the pandemic.These findings,together with numerous studies published before the pandemic on the effects of physical activity on mental health,should be considered in the provision of mental health care following the pandemic.Cross-sectional research has revealed that all types of exercise and sport are associated with a reduced mental health burden.Therefore,the effectiveness of exercise and sport participation in sustainable mental health care as well as the causal relationship between exercise,psychosocial health and common mental disorders merit further investigation.Physical activity and sport,with their global accessibility,significant and clinically meaningful efficacy as well as virtual absence of adverse effects,offer a promising option for the promotion of mental health,including the prevention and treatment of common mental disorders.Physical exercise and sport are likely to become valuable public mental health resources in the future.