11.Feb.03 - 'A change in the diet helps
disorders'
Chronicle and Echo Northampton 'The results
of the study will soon be ready for publication, but in the meantime Dr Portwood
believes parents can start to help their children by giving balanced diets with
an emphasis on fresh produce, rather than highly processed foods. The old saying 'You are what you eat' is being taken a step
further by researchers who believe what you eat can change how you function.
Educational
Psychologist Dr Madeleine Portwood believes a child's behaviour can be transformed
by what he eats. Dr Portwood's latest research into diet and behaviour has
focused on children with special needs. The rise in the number of children
with certain disorders in the last 10 to 20 years has baffled experts, but new
research has suggested that there could be a link to diet. Dr Portwood explained:
"Professionals in health and education are concerned by the increasing
numbers of children who have problems with concentration, learning and behaviour.
Teachers report that more children appear to have difficulty following instructions,
remaining on task and requiring basic skills." "And more
and more children are being diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders." These
disorders are: - Dyslexia - difficulty acquiring reading skill;
- Dyspraxia
- problems with coordination;
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- problems in focusing and remaining on task;
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders:
difficulty with social interaction, communication and imagination.
Dr
Portwood continued: "Questions have been asked as to why there appear
to be increasing numbers of children with these disorders and much research has
focused on diet." Published studies report improvements in the
behaviour of some children with autistic spectrum disorders when wheat and milk
products are excluded from their diets. Other studies suggest that dietary
supplements have an effect on children's learning. Dr Portwood's latest
project focused on a group of 120 primary school age children in Durham. She
looked at changes in the children's attention, learning and movement skills when
given a supplement containing essential fatty acids like fish oil and organic
plant oils. Dr Portwood said: "Three months into the study teachers
and parents reported a significant improvement in the behaviour and attainments
of some of the pupils." The results of the study will soon be
ready for publication, but in the meantime Dr Portwood believes parents can start
to help their children by giving balanced diets with an emphasis on fresh produce,
rather than highly processed foods.
Parents whose children are on the autistic spectrum have been giving
their children - a formulation of hi-EPA marine fish oil and Evening Primrose oil - and many have reported an improvement in their
child's coordination, behaviour and sleep.
The supplement is designed to
give the brain and eye what it naturally needs for normal brain function. Back
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