For years, my son’s ADHD dictated our lives. Telling us where we could go. What we could do. How our days were going to go.
We never knew what kind of mood my son would be in, so we walked around on eggshells all day long.
The only thing I looked forward to was going to bed each night.
It was a miserable way to live…
But that all changed when I removed gluten from his diet.
In fact, within just 2 weeks, he was a completely different kid!
Since then, I have learned so much more about the damaging effects of gluten, specifically for children with ADHD.
I hope you find it helpful!
3 Reasons Gluten is Terrible for Children with ADHD:
? Gluten leads to a breakdown of the gut in EVERYONE!
Many people mistakenly assume gluten is only bad for those who have Celiac Disease.
But that’s not the case!
Gluten is a highly inflammatory substance and is difficult to digest for EVERYONE!
Research shows that it triggers increased intestinal permeability (which is basically a breakdown of the gut lining) in EVERYONE who eats it.
While this “leaky gut” condition is only temporary for most individuals to begin with, once they cross the threshold where their immune system starts to produce antibodies against gluten, they are then considered to have a gluten sensitivity.
? Gluten has been linked to multiple diseases, including ADHD and other similar disorders.
A review paper in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 diseases that can be caused by eating gluten, including osteoporosis, IBD, canker sores, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and most autoimmune diseases, as well as many psychiatric and neurological diseases such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, dementia, schizophrenia, migraines, and so on.
? Gluten has the potential to create an opiate-like effect in some people.
Yes, you read that right!
Opioids, like morphine!
When the enzymes in the gut are not able to fully break down gluten, a protein is created that is similar in structure to morphine. These proteins bind to opiate receptors in the brain and can create opiate-like effects.
My son used to have HUGE meltdowns, where he behaved like a completely different person. It was like he couldn’t control himself at all.
And the truth is, he couldn’t.
Just like an addict, he was controlled by something else…the opiate receptors in his brain!
When we removed gluten from my son’s diet, he experienced a 90% improvement in all of his ADHD symptoms.
For us, removing gluten was the game-changer!
Since then, I’ve watched nearly 1000 other families find the same freedom once they remove gluten from their child’s diet too.
Give it a try, and let me know if you need any support along the way.
It is best to remove gluten for at least 3-6 months, to give the body adequate time to clear the inflammatory and immune triggers. And remember, sometimes, symptoms get worse before they get better so don’t give up if you don’t see improvements right away!
I did a more extensive training on the effects of gluten earlier this month. If you’d like to watch the full episode, check it out here:
https://youtu.be/oB6zvw2Njt8
