Why is it used?

Additive free diets became linked with hyperactivity over 20 years ago when a Dr Fiengold linked hyperactivity in children to the additives used in food manufacture. For some people it is simply the need to avoid 'artificial' additives' to food that is the driving force to eat a diet free of additives.

Who would require the diet?

Research has failed to show conclusively that hyperactivity can be controlled by diet, but some children have benefited from the withdrawal of all or some additives from their diet. It has been argued that simply giving the child a better diet overall with regular meals and less sugar may be the reason for improvement in behaviour. Linking diet with hyperactivity has its problems, defining hyperactivity, is also fraught with difficulties. The label hyperactivity has sometimes been given to children who behave badly, and equally it is difficult to establish whether diet has any effect.

What is the diet and how does it work?

The diet is simple since all foods with artificial additives should be removed. In practice this is not so simple as many artificial additives are present in foods that are so readily available. With children the problem lies in abstaining from foods that their friends may eat. This can cause enormous problems, which may mean that they cannot participate in social events such as parties without feeling different. Such social isolation may even cause more problems such as stealing 'forbidden foods' or teasing from other children. It is therefore essential to get the child to realise that the problem may be solved by diet - no easy task for a parent.

The dietary changes are obvious:

• Buy fresh meat, and avoid processed meats raw or cooked.
• Choose fresh fish, tinned and frozen fish, they usually contain no additives. Smoked fish and processed fish e.g. fish fingers should be avoided.
• All fresh eggs are allowed.
• Milk is allowed with the exception of flavoured milks.
• Choose plain yoghurt, avoid the flavoured varieties.
• Plain cheeses are allowed, not processed cheeses and dips, some coloured cheeses have carotene E160 that is a nature identical colour and would be allowed.
• Choose butter, some margarines contain natural colours and emulsifiers.
• Use wholemeal or whole-wheat flour, or unbleached flour, or other whole grain cereal flours, ordinary white flour has additives.
• Make bread with suitable flour or buy from a source that can be trusted.
• All rice's, semolina, tapioca, cornflour, arrowroot, spaghetti and pasta (except coloured pasta), barley, rye and oats are allowed.
• Read the labels on breakfast cereal; there are many that are allowed.
• Make homemade cakes and biscuits.
• All fresh fruit needs to be washed to remove sprays used by the growers.
• Most tinned fruit is suitable, exceptions may be, rhubarb, blackcurrants - read the label first.
• Most dried fruits are not suitable - read the label.
• Wash fresh vegetable, most canned and frozen vegetables are suitable but check for additives with canned peas, minted peas etc.
• Potatoes are suitable except for frozen potato products e.g. shapes and waffles - read the label (commercially prepared potatoes for catering may contain a whitener).
• Plain crisps are suitable, but avoid the flavoured crisps.
• Lentils and beans are allowed, read the label of baked beans, not all may be suitable.
• Savoury spread such as Marmite and Bovril are allowed.
• Plain waters, still or fizzy are allowed and tea, coffee, drinking chocolate, cocoa, natural fruit juice (although some contain a natural antioxidant - check with the label first)
• Sugar, golden syrup and honey are allowed.

Always check the label and if in doubt avoid the food.

Will the diet harm me?

There is no harm in avoiding a diet containing additives, however it may be difficult especially with younger children. If the diet is followed to establish whether there is a link with hyperactivity then is should only be followed for 4 weeks. If the desire is to avoid additives then it may be prudent to adopt a minimal additive approach since it is so difficult to isolate children from additives without making them feel significantly different from their friends.

What else do I need to know?

Food colours such as those labelled E160 to E163 are copied from plants and by definition unlikely to cause a problem. Many emulsifiers and stabilisers are also related to natural products e.g. plant gums and carob gum which are numbered E400 to E499.

Manufacturers are very aware that additives are regarded as 'bad' and some companies go to great lengths to minimise the amounts that are needed. The additives that were first implicated in hyperactivity are now rarely used.

Some foods which we take for granted such as bread have preservatives. This allows for a longer shelf life, bread without preservatives, has a shorter shelf life and may be more prone to spoilage micro-organisms. Some micro-organisms may cause food poisoning so it is important to take extra care with keeping food and discarding any which may be no longer fit to eat.