Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

532176. 11.<www.iffgd.org>.

Monique Laberge, Ph.D.

Dr. Feingold diet
Definition
The Dr. Feingold diet is a diet that eliminates many
different forms of additives and other compounds from
the diet. It is intended to reduce the symptoms of
Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit
HyperactivityDisorder. Many proponents of the diet
suggest that it can be used to improve other common
problems as well.

Origins
The Dr. Feingold diet was developed by Dr. Ben
F. Feingold during the 1970s. Dr. Feingold was born
on June 15th, 1899 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He
received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Uni-
versity of Pittsburgh in 1921, and his Medical Degree
from the same institution in 1924. Following this, he
did an internship from 1924 to 1925 at Passavant
Hospital, also in Pittsburgh, and then a fellowship in
pathology at the University of Goettingen in Ger-
many. He then spent 1928 and 1929 working with
children in Austria before returning to the United
States to be an instructor of pediatrics at the North-
western University School of Medicine.

Dr. Feingold continued to work with children,

specifically in the developing area of allergy studies.

During World War II he was a commander in the US

Navy, and then returned from the war to be chief of

pediatrics at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los

Angeles, California. He worked at various other hos-

pitals and established all of the Departments of

Allergy for Northern California for Kaiser Founda-

tion Hospitals and Permanente Medical Group in

1951. He died on March 23, 1982.
      During his career Dr. Feingold mainly studied
      allergies in children. He noticed, however, that during
      his career the increase of children exhibiting symptoms
      of hyperactivity seemed to correspond with the
      increased consumption by children of various food
      additives. He hypothesized that these food additives
      were what was causing the symptoms he observed.
      During the 1970s he set out to study this relationship,
      and believed he had found a link. In 1975 be published
      the book ‘‘Why Your Child is Hyperactive,’’ laying out
      his beliefs. The Dr. Feingold diet is derived from this
      book. Since then, the children he called ‘‘hyperactive’’
      have been identified as having Attention Deficit Disor-
      der (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
      (ADHD).
      Although Dr. Feingold died in 1982, his followers
      and adherents continue to update his diet and ideas.
      Although he intended his diet only for the treatment of
      hyperactivity, the Feingold Association of the United
      States has identified many other problems that my be
      alleviated by the diet. They have also continued to
      update the foods and additives believed to cause
      behavior and other problems in children.

Description

The Dr. Feingold diet involves eliminating from

the diet all forms of additives and chemicals believed

by its proponents to be the cause of a variety of dis-

eases and disorders, most generally ADD and ADHD.

The diet occurs in two stages, the first stage involves

eliminating all of the offending foods, and the second

stage involves reintroducing one substance at a time to

see which can be tolerated.

There are four main groups of chemicals and

additives that are eliminated during the Dr. Feingold

diet. The first of these are all forms of synthetic color-

ing. These are often made from by-products of petro-

leum and are believed to be one of the causes of

hyperactivity. This means that any food products

that have artificial colors (which include many popu-

lar children’s foods and treats) are strictly forbidden.

Dr. Feingold diet