Low carbohydrate diet for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Objective of the study is to investigate the potential of low carbohydrate diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet, GAPS) and Prebiotics in reducing some symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity in children. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9.4 % of children in the USA have been diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (CDC, 2016). Symptoms of ADHD may include trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or being overly active. Children with ADHD often have underlying digestive problems and altered gut microbiome. The growing research body is looking at nutritional and dietary interventions as treatment for ADHD symptoms. The ongoing study involves a quantitative, case-control 3-month treatment of a nutritional and dietary intervention involving a low carbohydrate diet (GAPS) and the use of a prebiotic (Hufulac). The participants are 56 children from Latvia, Norway, and Sweden (ages 5-13 years) with diagnoses of attention deficit disorder (ADD) or ADHD or undiagnosed ADHD symptoms. Out of 56 children, 43 are in the Intervention group and 13 are in the Control group. Additionally, the intervention group is divided into GAPS (21 children) and GAPS+Prebiotic (22 children) subgroups. Symptoms of ADHD and digestive symptoms of children will be evaluated by parents using several adapted or validated questionnaires several times during the study. Fecal analysis will be evaluated at the beginning and end of the study. Cognitive tests will be performed several times during the study to evaluate reaction time, processing speed, continuous performance and working memory of the children. Preliminary results of the study will be presented. Research suggests that elimination of certain food additives, refined sugars, allergens, and the consumption of nutrient-rich foods, plays a role in ADHD. Reduction of some ADHD symptoms for children is expected in this study.