CHILDCARE: WHAT CAUSES HYPERACTIVITY?

Posted by admin on March 30, 2009 under Allergies | Be the First to Comment

Research has shown that a proportion (20 per cent) of cases of hyperactivity are clearly linked to true food allergy – IgE-mediated reactions to food.

Allergy and sensitivity to other substances also play a strong role. From clinical practice, doctors estimate that between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of hyperactive children are allergic or sensitive to other things as well, including pollens, house dust mites, moulds, pets and other animals, common chemicals and food additives. Many hyperactive children have multiple sensitivity.

The role of food additives in hyperactivity has received a great deal of attention, and the Feingold Diet, excluding certain food additives, together with aspirin and naturally occurring salicylates (the active chemical in aspirin), is widely publicised. Some children do extremely well on the Feingold Diet; but only a small proportion of hyperactive children respond that well – most show some but not great improvement. Higher levels of improvement are found when all types of allergens, foods and chemicals (including food additives) causing reactions are identified and avoided.

Food additives (particularly E102, tartrazine, a colouring) do, however, play a significant role in hyperactivity, and, although not the prime cause, need to be considered seriously. Research has shown that hyperactive children seem to be deficient in a specific enzyme – PST-P – the role of which is to detoxify various chemicals produced naturally in the body during metabolism and digestion. Certain food colourings can block or limit the working of this enzyme, and hence be damaging to an individual who is already lacking in adequate levels of the enzyme. Reactions to certain food additives may thus be due to intolerance due to enzyme defects, rather than to true allergic mechanisms.