ADHD spices and flavorings.

[Guest guest]

This is one of those 'for what it is worth' articles.

It is very difficult to connect what this author is trying to convey

within the context of a specific disease which is

also a cause. None the less, if all else fails this might

be an alternative.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S175.

Is food intolerance due to an inborn error of metabolism?

Breakey J.

Since Feingold hypothesised that chemicals in food caused

hyperactivity in 1973 th1s issue has been controversial. Well planned

research in the 1980's did show some children reacted but the

mechanism is complex. As well as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder [ADHD] symptoms improving, mood and physical allergic

symptoms improved on a low suspect chemical diet. On this basis some

have proposed an immunological component in the mechanism. However

the whole foods commonly causing allergic reactions are additional

exclusions in some individuals rather than the core exclusions of

suspect additives and natural chemicals. To add to the confusion some

of the symptoms which respond to diet include headaches, migraine,

irritable bowel syndrome [iBS], mouth ulcers, and carsickness which

are not allergic symptoms. The fact that symptoms responding were in

many of the body's systems meant that several possible mechanisms

have been proposed but none clarified. Yet another mechanism was

proposed with the use of a gluten and casein free diet in autistic

children. Peptides from these proteins are absorbed and thought to

act as opiates affecting brain function. However those using this

diet also exclude additives, chocolate, MSG and other small molecular

weight compounds. An intriguing aspect of dietary response in the

ADHD research was the finding of a reduction in halitosis [bad

breath]. This author has also had patients report a reduction in

breath and also in body and urine odour. Since most of the suspect

chemicals are aromatic in structure the possibility of their poor

metabolism arose. This was supported by the finding that similar

enzymes are involved in the metabolism of both the suspect phenolic

compounds [additive colours and flavours, salicylates and the

benzoate preservative] and the amines. These are the sulpho

transferases. Amines were reported to be degraded in the gut and

phenolic compounds in the kidney. Work with diet-responding autistics

in the UK has reported relevant findings that implicate sulphur

metabolism. These autistic children have shown reduced levels of

plasma sulphate, and increased levels of excretion of sulphate,

sulphite and thiosulphate in their urine compared to controls.

Sulphur oxidation appears to be abnormal in this group. The numbers

of slow metabolisers or null metabolisers of cysteine dioxygenase in

autistics is much higher than the normal population. A study of non-

autistic food intolerant patients showed similar biochemical

abnormalities. In clinical research it has been found that foods are

better tolerated if flavour is mild, and more adverse reactions occur

to foods which are highly flavoured, so a defect in management of

aromatic compounds is indicated. The research implicating a defect in

the metabolism of phenolic and amine metabolism provides evidence of

a possible mechanism.

"

Note that there are hepatic disorders in patients with CD, and the

liver is the primary site of polycyclic aromatic oxidation.