A report from Perth Australia, written up in the Journal of Attention Disorders, indicates that there may be a link between a Western diet and ADHD.
"Leader of Nutrition studies at the Institute, Associate Professor Wendy Oddy, said the study examined the dietary patterns of 1800 adolescents from the long-term Raine Study and classified diets into 'Healthy' or 'Western' patterns."
A Western diet was associated with over twice the risk of an ADHD diagnosis when compared with a diet deemed to be healthier.
For the purposes of the study, "healthy" was considered to be a diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and fish, along with omega-3 fatty acids, folate and fiber. The diet labelled a "Western" diet had more processed, fried and refined foods, higher in fat, refined sugar and sodium.
Dr. Oddy's observations indicate that the study provides food for thought. More research would be needed to determine any definite correlation between dietary patterns and ADHD.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729091454.htm