According to an article on webmd.com there simply isn’t any reliable proof that food and behavior are related. Or is there?

For parents of children with ADD or ADHD, examining a connection between diet and behavior seems like a no-brainer. After all, Omega3 fatty acids are known to regulate moods and combat depression. Perhaps food can affect behavior.

Actually, this idea isn’t new. In the 1970s, Dr. Feingold, an allergist and pediatrician, pioneered research involving foods and products containing salicylates (chemicals related to aspirin), and synthetic additives, as they relate to diet, and, if eliminated from the diet, will they control behavioral problems, especially hyperactivity. His program – aptly called the Feingold Program – emerged after research found that children seemed to pay better attention and had better impulse control when they didn’t consume foods or products containing these compounds.

In a time when Ritalin is readily prescribed, combating behavioral problems with diet seems like an easier, less threatening approach. After all, it’s not much of a stretch to believe that additives, artificial colorants, and preservatives might be bad for us.

What kind of specific changes does the Feingold Program advocate? According to the Program’s web site, the main culprits are anything containing artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives, as well as Aspartame (commonly known as NutraSweet, the stuff that’s in most diet sodas).

But that’s not all. This is in addition to aspirin and foods where salicylates naturally occur, and this is a surprising list. Following the Feingold Program means eliminating apples, oranges, almonds, tomatoes, nectarines, peppers, grapes, and raisins, to name just a few. Aspirin is of course a big no-no, as well as anything containing oil of wintergreen.

This begs the question: Can eliminating mint-y toothpaste really help your child concentrate? And what about those little boxes of raisins? They are the perfect quick and healthy snack, and even the most persnickety kid will eat them.

Finding out if the Feingold Program really works depends on whom you ask. Not surprisingly, the folks at the Feingold Program (a non-profit organization) claim a very high success rate – up to 90% based on “member feedback.” The site includes an impressive list of research articles, including a well-publicized 2003 study conducted by researchers at Britain’s independent Food Commission. The study found that specific food additives caused tantrums in young children, and as a result, several schools radically changed food programs to remove these particular additives.

However, many experts disagree with results such as these, and say that the Feingold Program’s high success rate is unlikely. Many health-related web sites criticize the Feingold Program, noting that other studies find a success rate of only about 3% to 5%, and that food and behavior aren’t so tightly linked.

In addition, because many studies on food and behavior rely only on parents’ feedback for results, experts feel they are far too subjective, especially when hyperactivity is difficult to define in the first place.

Still, for most of us, talking to other parents about strategies that worked with their kids is the first thing we do when faced with a problem. If it works for someone else, it might just work for you.

In the end, it seems both sides raise some valid concerns. The Feingold Program points out the alarmingly low quality of nutritional value in the American diet. It’s not unusual for kids to eat pink cereal. Perhaps it’s more unusual that parents are thankful that they are at least eating something. Getting rid of artificial things in foods consumed by our kids (and ourselves) isn’t such a bad idea.

At the same time, taking away Johnny’s almond poppy-seed muffin and Sarah’s blackberry smoothie, but letting them eat a bag of corn chips (which don’t contain salicylates or additives, but are laden with fat and sodium) may not be the best approach. Taking your child off Ritalin without consulting your family physician is not recommended, either. Then again, even if you are skeptical of the Feingold Program’s high success rate, there is a chance that some dietary changes could yield benefits.

In the end, if your child has ADD, ADHD, or has other behavioral concerns that need addressing, investigate all your options. Read the opinions of medical experts, talk to other parents and your pediatrician. Drastic measures may not be the solution, but then again, it’s hard to ignore the old saying, “You are what you eat.”