The Dr. Feingold diet is a diet that eliminates many
different forms of additives and other compounds from
the diet. It is intended to reduce the symptoms of
Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. Many proponents of the diet
suggest that it can be used to improve other common
problems as well.
The Dr. Feingold diet involves eliminating from
the diet all forms of additives and chemicals believed
by its proponents to be the cause of a variety of diseases
and disorders, most generallyADD and ADHD.
The diet occurs in two stages, the first stage involves
eliminating all of the offending foods, and the second
stage involves reintroducing one substance at a time to
see which can be tolerated.
There are four main groups of chemicals and
additives that are eliminated during the Dr. Feingold
diet. The first of these are all forms of synthetic coloring.
These are often made from by-products of petroleum
and are believed to be one of the causes of
hyperactivity. This means that any food products
that have artificial colors (which include many popular
children’s foods and treats) are strictly forbidden.
The diet also requires that all forms of artificial
flavoring be removed fromthe diet. The Feingold Association
believes that many of these additives have not
been studied carefully and can cause unwanted behaviors
in children. Of special concern is the artificial
vanilla flavoring vanillin, which is often made from
by-products of paper production.
The Dr. Feingold diet also requires the elimination
of aspartame, an artificial sweetener sold mainly
under the brand name NutraSweet. This restriction is
not as limiting as it may have been in the past because
of the introduction of low calorie sweeteners derived
from sugar during the mid 2000s.
Artificial preservatives are also eliminated completely
when on this diet. These include the preservatives
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT
(Butylated Hydroxytoluene), which are derived from
petroleum. The purpose of these preservatives is
mainly to delay the oxidization of fats in foods. It is
this oxidization that makes fats go rancid, so these
preservatives give foods a longer shelf-life.
During stage one of the diet many salicylates are
removed from the diet, but may be reintroduced later
during state two. Salicylates are a group of chemicals,
some of which are naturally occurring, which are related
to aspirin. This eliminates certain natural foods such as
apples, berries, grapes, oranges, peaches, plums, tangerines,
and tomatoes, along with many others.
The Dr. Feingold diet can be very time consuming
to follow, especially at first, because many of the forbidden
substances occur under a variety of names on
labels, all of which must be learned. The Feingold
Association of the United States produces a set of
materials intended to help people beginning the diet,
including an 150 page food guide. These can be ordered
for a fee from their website, www.feingold.com
