Dietary Reactions that Cause Behavior Problems
Food Chemicals can Cause Sweet, Mild Children to Turn into Monsters
Aug 27, 2009
Children that give parents the most trouble may be highly intelligent and creative. Many have a unique ability to think "outside the box" and become innovative and successful adults. Most are also sensitive to substances in food that cause inflammation and emotional outbursts.
Causes of Food Intolerance
Sensitivity to artificial colors, flavors and some preservatives may be inherited. Repeated exposure makes children more sensitive to chemicals that can be found even in healthy foods.
Salycilates are aspirin-like chemicals that have been linked to behavior problems. Salycilates occur naturally in fruits and vegetables to protect them from birds, bugs and rodents before they are ripe. Picking too early for long-distance shipping can mean higher amounts of these chemicals are in food eaten by consumers.
Amines are found in meat, cheese, and some produce as well, sometimes in combination with salycilates. A strict elimination diet is the best way to determine how chemicals affect children, but a simple rule of thumb is that "silly" behavior relates to heavy salycilate intake and "mean" behavior is most often caused by amines.
Reactions to salycilates and amines are cumulative and dose-dependent. Overloading over several days finally produces the reaction and that makes it more confusing for parents to determine which food to avoid. Reactions to colors, flavors, and preservatives can be immediate. Be aware that overloading can occur from concentrated foods. An orange or a tomato might not be a problem, but orange juice and ketchup contain much more of the reactive substances.
Allergies
Common allergens include wheat (gluten), milk, eggs, corn and soy.
Many people have problems digesting these foods. Gluten and milk protein, in particular, can damage the bowel of sensitive individuals. Larger particles of other foods can "leak" through the damaged bowel and set up inflammatory reactions. The immune system then becomes at risk of attacking its own body, with long-term consequences. Highly processed foods have made gluten-free dieting more challenging. Celiac disease is the most severe form of gluten intolerance.
Safe Foods
Many vegetables and whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, teff, and buckwheat do not cause reactions in children. Oatmeal (gluten free), garbanzo beans, lentils, lima beans, and dried peas also offer the basis for many good meals for sensitive kids. Maple syrup can be used as a sweetener. These are the foods to fall back on when kids are out of control. In a few days, introduce more foods a little at a time and watch for reactions. Processed and restaurant foods are usually very risky, so making whole foods at home is the best policy.
The Good News
While gluten intolerance is lifelong, allergies can change and it takes higher doses of chemicals to affect older, larger kids. Being careful now offers the best chance that problems will become milder or go away altogether as children grow up.
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