So far, this is just a small sampling of what the medical literature has to say about the role of nutrition and food additives and mental health. This list currently focuses on children's mental health but will include more as time permits. The first part is a list of websites you can go to for more info. The list of research is divided into categories:
Food Additives/Junk Food/Proper Nutrition (updated 7/10/2012)
Omega-3 Deficiencies (updated 12/20/2011)
Food Allergies/Sensitivities/Celiac's Disease (updated 5/12/2012)
I will put date of last revision of section to the side of it. All three of these have been shown to significantly contribute to and/or cause mental health problems.
Great websites and blogs for more information:
Feingold Association www.feingold.org
Food and Behavior Research www.fabresearch.org
Developmental Delay Resources www.devdelay.org
Behavioral Neurotherapy Clinic www.adhd.com.au
Gut and Psychology Syndrome www.gaps.me
Here is just a small sample of scientific research:
Food Additives/Junk Food/Proper Nutrition
A Prospective Study of Diet Quality and Mental Health in Adolescents www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024805
Outcome-Based Comparison of Ritalin Versus Food-Supplement Treated Children with AD-HD (PDF) Alternative Medicine Review 2003
Article: Hyper Kids? Check Their Diet www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1661703,00.html
Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17825405">www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17825405
Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8179235
Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disordert symptoms, restriction diet, and synthetic food coloradditives. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22176942
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: is it time to reappraise the role of sugar consumption? www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21904085
Mercury exposure, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disruptions may affect learning in children. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19860886
Synergistic Interactions between Commonly Used Food Additives in a Developmental Neurotoxicity Test http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/1/178.full?view=long&pmid=16352620
Food additives and behavior: first genetic insights. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/167/9/1023
Consumption of soft drinks and hyperactivity, mental distress, and conduct problems among adolescents in Oslo, Norway. http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/reprint/96/10/1815
The association between dietary patterns and mental health in early adolescence. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19467256
A good-quality breakfast is associated with better mental health in adolescence. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19026092
“Junk food” diet and childhood behavioural problems: Results from the ALSPAC cohort www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664919
Nutritional and dietary influences on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18826452
Nutrition in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a neglected but important aspect. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12737097
Malnutrition at age 3 years and externalizing behavior problems at ages 8, 11, and 17 years. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15514400
Brain Foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706
Database analysis of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder consuming a micronutrient formula www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20875144
Trends of dietary habits in adolescents. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20112152
Fast food consumption and breakfast skipping: predictors of weight gain from adolescence to adulthood in a nationally representative sample www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17116514
Omega-3 Deficiencies
Article: Diet Can Ease Problem Behaviours http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1816938.stm
Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomatology: systematic review and meta-analysis. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21961774
Fatty acid deficiency signs predict the severity of reading and related difficulties in dyslexic children. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10970716
A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supplementation with highly unsaturated fatty acids on ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficulties. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11817499
Fatty acid metabolism in neurodevelopmental disorder: a new perspective on associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia and the autistic spectrum www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10970706
Omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in children and adolescents. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18448859
Omega-3 fatty acids in boys with behavior, learning, and health problems. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8778886
Food Allergies/Sensitivities/Celiac's Disease
Maternal Gluten Sensitivity Linked to Schizophrenia Risk in Children Science Daily www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120511101242.htm
Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomised controlled trial.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21296237
Effects of food on physical and sleep complaints in children with ADHD: a randomised controlled pilot study.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20401617
Range of Neurologic Disorders in Patients With Celiac Disease (American Academy of Pediatrics June 6, 2004) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/113/6/1672
Article: Wheat-free diet gives food for thought http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article444290.ece
[Favourable effect of a standard elimination diet on the behavior of young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a pilot study] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12532668
A randomised controlled trial into the effects of food on ADHD. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18431534
The Effects of a Few Food Diet in Attention Decifcit Disorder www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1029619/
Effects of food on physical and sleep complaints in children with ADHD: a randomised controlled pilot study. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20401617
A preliminary investigation of ADHD symptoms in persons with celiac disease. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17085630
Common comorbidities seen in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18822828
Markers of Gluten Sensitivity and Celiacs Disease in Bi-Polar Disorder http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2011.00894.x/full#t1
Article: Mayo Clinic Discovers Potential Link Between Celiac's Disease and Cognitive Decline Science Daily, October 12, 2006 www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061010022602.htm
Autoantibody targeting of brain and intestinal transglutaminase in gluten ataxia.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16476935
Immunologically Mediated Dementias Look for the section on Gluten-sensitivity dementia, which it interestingly says that only 30 percent of neurologic gluten-sensitivity will have Celiac's disease. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2832614/?tool=pubmed
Gluten ataxia: passive transfer in a mouse model. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17804560
