1 Test to Do Before ADHD Medication

Can your child’s ADHD be as simple as a gluten sensitivity?

Gluten allergies or sensitivities are more common than most people think. It’s not just about testing positive for celiac disease either; you don’t have to have celiac to experience stomach discomfort or other symptoms after eating gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley). Did you know that gluten sensitivities have over 300 known symptoms?

Actually gluten allergies, sensitivities and celiac disease are three different things:

Celiac is an autoimmune disease where your body is completely intolerant and you’ll experience a sever reaction.
Gluten allergy is when your body will create antibodies after gluten is ingested.
Gluten sensitivity is linked to over 300 different symptoms after you eat gluten (and this affects at least 10% of the US population).

We know that gluten can affect digestion, but how does gluten affect the brain? Well after you eat it and its absorbed in your blood stream, it causes an inflammation in your brain, which can lead to:

Muscle twitches
Panic attacks
Depression
Anxiety
Fatigue or brain fog
Headaches
Seizures
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADD/ADHD) symptoms

And not to throw more good news at you, but the Journal of Interdisciplinary Toxicology links gluten sensitivity to GMOs. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) also initiate an inflammatory response in the gut, which will again affect the brain.

Now how does this affect your child’s ADHD diagnosis? Well, it has long been known that people with celiac disease are also more likely to suffer from ADHD. So much so that it has been strongly recommended that celiac disease be included in the checklist when searching for an ADHD diagnosis.

So if you – or your child – is suspected of having, or even diagnosed with ADHD, you first want to start a gluten-free diet before going the medication route. You may also want to have an allergy test, but read here why an Alcat test is a better option.

Another great resource to learn more about triggers that look like ADHD but aren’t is my webinar “The Food Connection to Your Child’s Behavior — Food Triggers to Allergies, Asthma, ADHD, and Autism“.

What are your thoughts? Do you or someone you love have a gluten sensitivity and/or ADHD? I’d love to hear from my readers!

Leann Forst, MBA, CHC, CEOC — Holistic Health Practitioner

Leann is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Certified Essential Oils Coach, holding a Master’s degree from Drake University and a Bachelor of Science from Upper Iowa University. Leann is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. And she is an award winning author of 2 books “How to Get Your Kids to Beg for Veggies” and “100 Ways to Lose Weight”.

Born and raised as an Iowa farm girl, she moved to Texas in 1998 where she lives with her husband and 2 kids.

As a wife of a brain cancer survivor, Leann has a special interest in anti-cancer nutrition and detoxification. She works with individuals and groups, and speaks regularly at hospitals, schools and organizations to teach people how to attain optimal health by getting to the root cause of chronic and inflammatory conditions, while using healing modalities such as essential oils. Click here to get Leann’s free report, “37 Cancer Facts You Should Know…But Probably Don’t”. And take Leann’s Nutrient Deficiency Quiz here.