Avoiding certain additives for individuals with ADHD, is something we need to look at quite seriously if we want to reduce our symptoms. I’m no expert when it comes to chemistry and I’m no dietician, but what I can go on is my own experience of changing my diet and how that’s dramatically affected my health. So hear me out!
What Food Colouring Additives Should Individuals with ADHD Avoid?
I try to avoid anything that I don’t understand or can’t read. Bit by bit, I’ve cut out the artificial stuff and moved to a 95% whole foods diet. Not only do I feel better, I look visibly better because I’m healthy.
The following ‘E’ numbers can be problematic to those of us with ADHD in various ways. Here is a list of what ‘E’ numbers to avoid although they may have different names depending on what country you live in.
Additives come under many different names
If we’re wanting to avoid additives, we need to know the names they come under. The only way we can do this is through our own research. Some of the additives have more names than in the graphic. There are simply too many names to add to it. Why is there a need to name the same ingredient different names? Wouldn’t this make it harder for people to read ingredient labels? Why would a company want to make it harder for us?
I’m writing this from the standpoint of an individual with ADHD but it’s also relevant for everyone as I believe the additives in our food are making us sick. This sickness doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s a slow process that builds up over time because additives on their own might not cause major harm. But the problem with this, is that no one knows the safe limit. If we’re consuming many different products over the course of a day or week, there’s no way of telling how these toxins interfere with our bodies ability to maintain balance. Plus we are all different with different health complaints. It’s impossible to know how each additive interacts within each person’s unique gut microbiome.
The Problem with Additives and ADHD
So, it’s not just food colouring that we need to avoid to reduce our symptoms, it’s other stuff that’s been added to foods and drinks. I drank the energy drink ‘V’ for years. It has the preservative ‘sodium benzoate’ (discussed later) in it which can cause ADHD related symptoms as found by a study of College students. Check out the article HERE. I started drinking energy drinks when I was in University and then continued to drink them for over 20 years. In hindsight, I was making my symptoms worse but couldn’t see it at the time. From personal experience, ditch them. They make us feel worse and the long-term affect on symptoms (mine in particular) can be devastating health wise. I ended up with Coeliac Disease but it could’ve been much worse.
One of the biggest difficulties is that most people don’t understand much about the chemicals that are added to our foods. They can be called E numbers, or go under the more commonly known name as food additives. They are substances added to our food to enhance its flavour, appearance, texture, or shelf life.
These additives, which include preservatives, colorants, emulsifiers, and stabilisers, are assigned unique codes by the European Union to ensure safety and standardisation. But the problem is, is that these standards differ from country to country. The only way to know what your country’s standards are, is to research how they are labelled. While some E numbers are derived from natural sources, others are synthetic, sparking ongoing discussions about their effects on health.
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What I’ve found over the past 5-6 years is that they are becoming increasingly harder to find due to the differing names and numbers. Due to this, I’ve found it easier to avoid anything I don’t understand, can’t pronounce, or that may harm me in some way. What I do know, is that my body can handle a small amount of additives, but once I go over that amount, an imbalance will show somewhere in my body. This is usually in the form of eczema on my face or hands. This is a warning sign to stop eating what I’m eating. My body is now extremely sensitive to anything artificial and I’m very in tune with my body now. When it gives a warning sign, I listen and change my behaviour accordingly.
The more I’ve cut out, the clearer my thinking has also become. I’m no longer hyperactive and my organisation skills have increased dramatically. This is because I no longer have chemicals rushing around my gut for my body to process. This then impacts my brain health and has promoted better clarity of thought. Because my actions are slower and my brain no longer feels on fire, I can organise my thoughts better. There’s no longer chaos on the inside and this reflects in my appearance and my environment.
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Other additives to avoid for individuals with ADHD
The more you research, the scary it becomes. That’s why it’s important to check for ourselves. It doesn’t take long to do a quick search especially now that we have AI like ChatGPT. Even though I’m not a massive fan of AI, if used for the purposes of good, I don’t have a problem with it. Just be careful though as it may only produce answers based on what a current narrative might be. This means using discernment and doing further research is necessary as some of the info can be inaccurate through working within a vacuum or echo chamber. In other words, you may get ‘old science’ rather than the opportunity to hear ‘voices’ that may not agree with the current paradigm or belief system.
One way to help with this, is to get information from a variety of sources. It’s easy to cross-reference things these days with the amount of information we have available but it does take some time. Finding the time now is pretty crucial because if we don’t find the time now, we could be forced to make the time later for our illness.
Opting for a whole-foods diet to avoid the chemical storm
Like I said earlier, I’ve switched to a whole-foods diet by slowly switching out foods and drinks from artificial, to real food. The change in my behaviour has been dramatic, both in my hyperactivity (no longer present), and in my focus and concentration. I’ve gone from scattered to extreme clarity of thought.
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I want to point out though that this change didn’t happen overnight. It’s been 5 years of tweaking what I eat, watching for food sensitives, and then eliminating certain foods. But once I ‘d been off processed foods for a while, that’s when I really noticed the clarity of thought and the removal of brain fog. My brain no longer needs to be doing extra work by processing environmental toxins so it can focus on what needs to be done. It’s also important to note that I’ve changed many other aspects of my environment which has also helped me clean up my diet, reduced my stress, and helped me make better life decisions as a result.
If you want to learn more, here’s a great article from ADDitude where the author discusses ADHD foods, dyes and attention and how this relates to focus and concentration.
It’s actually really hard finding any good recent studies on this topic. There seems to be a lot of older studies in the 1990’s where they are saying that additives are bad, then there’s a gap. I found one really good review but it was retracted which means a problem was found with it. Now most just say the evidence is inconclusive and more research is needed. This seems to be common. But how long are we going to wait?
We need to do our due diligence and keep searching for info. If what we find seems off, we can stop consuming what we’re eating or drinking. It might not be toxic in small amounts, but those amounts add up over time. The only way to check is to remove it from our diet and monitor our symptoms.
Please check out the recommended research and reading at the end of this post to learn more.
Bottom line
Taking a serious look at avoiding specific additives for individuals with ADHD may help us alleviate our symptoms. While I may not be a chemistry expert or a dietitian, my personal experience with dietary changes has profoundly impacted my health. All I can say is give it a shot. You have nothing to lose by doing your own research and eating foods that will help you in the short and long term.
Recommended reading & research
As I’ve said many, many times, DO NOT take my word for it. I could have made a mistake in my research. Plus, it’s hard to find stuff these days that doesn’t have a conflict of interest or isn’t sponsored by someone (received funding for a study). We have to get into the habit of doing our own research. By doing this, we can learn the information for ourselves and look at different viewpoints. From this, we can then make our minds up using our discernment. The more informed we are, the better decisions we can make.
Click the links below to go straight to the web pages:
Want to learn more about what to eat and what to avoid?
Check out my eBook on ADHD and Food. It’s the main strategy I’ve used to reduce my symptoms and I’ve never looked back. Check it out if you’re ready to make that change.
