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Food Allergies & Bad Behavior in Children

Food allergy is a common problem affecting adults and children alike. Breastfeeding babies exclusively for four to six months is believed to reduce the risk of allergies. An allergy is described as an abnormal reaction to any amount of a substance. Experts believe there is a link between food allergies and bad behavior in children.

  1. Signs of Food Allergies

    • Children cannot express themselves verbally in a way we can, therefore certain reactions or behaviors can be clues for allergies to foods. Physical reactions to food include rashes or a respiratory congestion. Children could also vomit or get diarrhea because they do not feel well after eating something. But there are other signs of food allergies that are more subtle, delayed and less obvious. These include behavioral changes (see Reference 1).

    Diagnosis

    • Some food allergies can be more easily detected because its symptoms can immediately be linked to certain foods. For example, if you develop a rash shortly after eating a citrus fruit, such symptoms are often obvious.

      But sometimes the diagnosis is more tricky. Although it might not be apparent to you, your child's diet could be to blame for erratic behavior or inexplicable mood swings.

      There is also the danger of misdiagnosing certain behavior of children as attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. If this is the case, children might be put on medication when changing his diet alone could take care of the problem (References 1, 2, 4 and 5).

    Behavioral Changes

    • Hyperactivity, temper tantrums, depression, mood swings and irritability are all examples of behavior children can show because of a food allergy. When you notice certain negative behavior in your child, try to put it into perspective. Is there a pattern? Does your child show certain traits after a meal? What did your child eat? Observe her closely, and give a full report to her pediatrician (References 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6).

    Overall Nutrition

    • It is important that children are on a well-balanced diet. If a child primarily gets food of low nutritive value, it can trigger certain behavior. One example is shown in the film "Supersize Me" where students of a behavioral high school show less behavioral issues when fed more whole foods compared to processed foods. Another benefit was increased attendance and academic achievement. Try to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains instead of refined flours and cereals or processed foods (Reference 3).

    Watch Out for Certain Ingredients

    • Sometimes, ingredients such as food dyes, glutamate or aromatic substances affect children's behavior. Hallucinogenic substances, for example, are found in nutmeg, and cinnamon is linked to hyperactivity and headaches (References 1, 2, 4 and 5).

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