Hyperactivity or, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a disorder of certain mechanisms in the central nervous system. It primarily affects children and causes a variety of learning and behavioural problems. Factors linked to the disorder include:

Heredity

Smoking during pregnancy

Oxygen depravation at birth

Environmental pollutants

Artificial food additives

Preservatives and foods containing salicylates

Lead poisoning

Pre-natal trauma

Low protein diets

Hyperactivity may be characterised by one or a combination of the following:

Head knocking

Lack of concentration

Temper tantrums

A tendency to disturb other children

Impatience, difficulty waiting

Self-destructive behaviour

Emotional instability with hourly or daily mood swings

Disorders of speech and hearing

Forgetfulness

Extreme distractibility

Absentmindedness

Difficulty solving problems or managing time

Inability to finish tasks

Low tolerance for stress and otherwise ordnary problems

Learning disabilities

Tendancy to become frustrated quickly

Clumsiness

Inability to sit still for any length of time

Sleep disturbances

Failure in school despite average or above average intelligence

Invariably children with ADHD have one or more of the following nutrional problems:

Food sensitivities

Lack of essential fatty acids

Sugar imbalance

Lack of vitamins and minerals, usually B6 and zinc

The majority of ADHD children will become manageable once these imbalances have been corrected. Some children can respond within a matter of weeks to a low sugar diet plus the correct supplementation.