Is blood sugar an underlying link in the cause of ADHD, autism and other behavioral disorders? And, can symptoms be controlled through diet? Dr. Heidi Shea, a pediatric endocrinologist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, says that there is no research to confirm a link between high or low blood sugar and the cause of behavioral disorders. However, she adds, some of her patients do report that low-glycemic diets help balance blood-sugar levels and ease some of the symptoms experienced by children with ADHD and autism.
Dr. Larry Davis, D.C., owner of Nutritional Wellness Center in Plano, points to “a caveman-like diet.” He says, “It all comes down to processed carbohydrates. Lower carbohydrate diets — higher in protein and fiber, such as the caveman diet — can help a person’s body to naturally maintain blood-sugar levels.” Grouchiness that is caused by dipping blood-sugar levels, he says, can be magnified in children with special needs because they may lack coping skills possessed by typical children.
