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Feingold diet

The Feingold diet is an elimination diet developed in the early 1970s by Benjamin Feingold, an American pediatric allergist, to treat hyperactivity and associated behavioral problems in children by removing artificial food colors, flavors, preservatives, and salicylates—naturally occurring compounds found in certain fruits, vegetables, and other foods—from the diet.^[1] Feingold's hypothesis stemmed from observations of improved behavior in children on salicylate-free diets for allergy treatment, leading him to propose the approach publicly in 1973 and detail it in his 1974 book Why Your Child is Hyperactive, which claimed success rates of 30–50% in reducing symptoms.^[2]^[1] The diet gained significant popularity among parents during the 1970s amid growing concerns over hyperactivity (now often diagnosed as ADHD), with the nonprofit Feingold Association of the United States founded in 1976 to promote and support its implementation through food lists, shopping guides, and resources.^[2]^[3] The diet follows a structured two-stage protocol to identify potential triggers. In Stage 1, all synthetic additives—including artificial colors (e.g., Red 40), flavors, sweeteners (e.g., aspartame), and preservatives (e.g., BHA, BHT, TBHQ)—are eliminated, along with high-salicylate foods such as apples, oranges, berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and spices like curry and paprika.^[4] Acceptable foods in this phase include limited fruits (e.g., bananas, pears, pineapple), vegetables (e.g., cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, white rice), fresh meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and most beans and lentils, with an emphasis on fresh or additive-free processed items verified through association-approved lists.^[4] Stage 2, typically begun after 4–6 weeks if improvements are observed, reintroduces low-salicylate foods first, gradually adding higher-salicylate items to pinpoint specific sensitivities, while permanently avoiding confirmed additives.^[4] The association provides annual updates to its food guide, covering thousands of brand-name products, to facilitate adherence.^[5] Scientific evaluation of the Feingold diet has produced mixed and largely unsupportive results. Early uncontrolled reports suggested benefits for hyperactivity, but a 1980 review of experimental studies concluded that symptoms in the vast majority of affected children were unrelated to dietary additives or salicylates.^[1] A 1983 meta-analysis of 23 studies found the diet's effects on hyperactivity to be negligible, only slightly above chance levels, questioning its overall efficacy.^[6] More recent systematic reviews, including a 2017 analysis of meta-analyses on elimination diets, indicate a small effect size (0.08–0.44) for removing artificial food colors based on parent and teacher ratings, but emphasize the need for further blinded randomized controlled trials before routine recommendation.^[7] A 2023 overview of non-pharmacological ADHD interventions noted potential promise in crossover studies of the Feingold diet but highlighted the absence of robust blinded RCTs and high participant burden as barriers to endorsement.^[8] Despite limited evidence, the diet remains in use by some families and was acknowledged by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2008 as possibly valid for a subset of children sensitive to additives.^[2] Safety considerations include the diet's restrictiveness, which may lead to nutritional deficiencies if not monitored, particularly in children; consultation with a healthcare professional is advised before starting.^[9] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regards approved food additives as safe for general consumption, though individual sensitivities cannot be ruled out.^[9]

Overview

Definition and Purpose

The Feingold diet is an elimination regimen developed in the early 1970s by Benjamin Feingold, a pediatric allergist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco.^[9]^[10] It involves systematically removing specific synthetic food additives, preservatives, and certain naturally occurring compounds from the diet to identify potential triggers for adverse reactions.^[11] The primary purpose of the Feingold diet is to alleviate symptoms of hyperactivity in children, which Feingold later linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), based on observations of behavioral improvements in pediatric patients undergoing additive-free diets for allergy management.^[9]^[1] Feingold noted these effects during his treatment of children with conditions like hives, asthma, and eczema, where the exclusion of additives led to reduced hyperactivity alongside physical symptom relief.^[11]^[12] While not originally designed for these uses, the diet has been explored as a secondary intervention for asthma, eczema, and behavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, with proponents suggesting it may help manage associated sensitivities.^[11]^[10]^[13] At its core, the Feingold diet hypothesizes that certain synthetic additives, artificial flavors and colors, and salicylates—naturally occurring phenolic compounds—can provoke neurological responses that manifest as behavioral changes, including hyperactivity, in susceptible individuals.^[14]^[1]^[11]

Key Principles

The Feingold diet operates as an elimination protocol designed to identify and remove potential dietary triggers for behavioral and learning issues, primarily targeting synthetic additives that may provoke sensitivities in susceptible individuals. At its core, the diet mandates the exclusion of artificial food colors, flavors, and preservatives, with specific emphasis on the synthetic antioxidants BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), which are commonly used to extend shelf life in processed foods.^[5]^[10] Artificial sweeteners are also prohibited to minimize exposure to non-natural compounds that could interfere with symptom management. This approach stems from the foundational hypothesis that these additives can elicit adverse reactions in sensitive children, potentially worsening ADHD-like symptoms through mechanisms akin to allergic or hypersensitivity responses.^[11]^[15] A secondary layer of the diet addresses naturally occurring salicylates, compounds found in certain plants such as some fruits and vegetables, which are chemically analogous to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and may trigger similar sensitivities. These salicylates are temporarily eliminated in the initial phase to assess their role as potential exacerbators, based on the recognition that aspirin intolerance is a well-established phenomenon that can manifest in respiratory, behavioral, or neurological effects.^[16]^[10] The theoretical basis posits that both artificial additives and salicylates could influence brain chemistry or provoke pseudo-allergic reactions in vulnerable populations, leading to heightened irritability, hyperactivity, or cognitive challenges, though the exact pathways remain under investigation and are not universally accepted.^[9]^[17] To ensure efficacy, the diet requires strict family-wide adherence, as even trace exposure through shared meals or environments can undermine the elimination process and lead to cross-contamination. This collective commitment is essential for isolating the effects of removed substances, distinguishing the protocol from individualized dietary tweaks. Unlike broader healthy eating regimens that emphasize nutritional balance, the Feingold diet prioritizes hyper-specific avoidance of these chemical triggers, allowing otherwise unrestricted consumption of natural, unprocessed foods to test for symptomatic relief without imposing general caloric or macronutrient restrictions.^[18]^[5]

Dietary Components

Prohibited Substances and Foods

The Feingold diet strictly prohibits certain synthetic additives, preservatives, and naturally occurring substances believed to trigger hyperactivity in sensitive individuals, particularly children with behavioral challenges. Developed by pediatrician Benjamin Feingold in the 1970s, the diet's restrictions aim to eliminate these potential triggers by removing them from food, medications, and even non-food products.^[9]^[19] Synthetic Additives: These include artificial colors such as FD&C Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Blue No. 1; artificial flavors like synthetic vanilla (vanillin), peppermint, or strawberry; and sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin. Feingold hypothesized that these petroleum-derived compounds could exacerbate hyperactivity and inattention by acting as allergens or irritants in susceptible children.^[9]^[19]^[4] Preservatives: Prohibited items encompass butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and sodium benzoate, commonly used to extend shelf life in processed foods. These antioxidants were targeted by Feingold due to their potential to provoke behavioral symptoms similar to those observed in salicylate intolerance, prompting their avoidance to reduce hyperactivity risks.^[9]^[19]^[4] Salicylate-Containing Foods: Naturally occurring salicylates, compounds chemically related to aspirin, must be avoided in items such as apples, berries (including strawberries and raspberries), oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, peaches, and spices like curry powder or cinnamon. Feingold's approach posits that these plant-based salicylates may accumulate and heighten hyperactivity in sensitive individuals, necessitating their initial elimination to assess symptom improvement.^[9]^[4] Other Prohibitions: Aspirin and salicylate-containing medications are banned, as are certain personal care products with synthetic fragrances or preservatives, such as perfumes, toothpaste, and lotions. Caffeine from sources like coffee, tea, and diet sodas, along with herbal teas, is also restricted due to their potential to mimic or amplify additive-induced behavioral effects. These broader exclusions extend the diet's principles to non-dietary exposures that could contribute to hyperactivity triggers.^[9]^[19]^[4]

Permitted Foods and Alternatives

The Feingold diet emphasizes fresh, whole foods free from artificial additives, preservatives, and high-salicylate items during initial stages, allowing families to select from a range of safe options to ensure nutritional balance and meal variety.^[5] Permitted foods focus on low-salicylate produce, unprocessed proteins, and simple grains, with alternatives provided for common ingredients to maintain palatability without compromising the diet's principles.^[4] Low-salicylate fruits and vegetables form the core of approved produce, selected to minimize potential sensitivities while providing essential vitamins and fiber. Examples include pears, bananas, peeled white potatoes, cabbage, and green beans, which can be prepared simply—such as steaming or boiling—to retain nutrients and avoid added substances.^[9] These items serve as versatile bases for meals, with bananas and pears offering natural sweetness for snacks or desserts, and cabbage or green beans adding bulk to sides without introducing prohibited salicylates.^[19] Proteins and grains provide sustained energy and satiety, drawn from unadulterated sources to align with the diet's elimination of synthetic flavors and colors. Fresh meats, poultry, and non-smoked fish (such as chicken breast or white fish fillets) are recommended as primary proteins, ideally prepared by baking or grilling without seasonings containing banned additives.^[4] For grains, white rice and plain pasta without additives offer reliable carbohydrates; rice can substitute for higher-salicylate grains like brown rice, while pasta serves as a neutral base for permitted sauces made from fresh ingredients.^[9] Sweeteners and condiments are limited to natural, additive-free varieties to enhance flavors without triggering sensitivities. Natural sugars like cane sugar and stevia provide sweetness for baking or beverages, with pure vanilla extract allowed for desserts and salt used sparingly for seasoning.^[19] These alternatives replace artificial sweeteners and flavored condiments, ensuring meals remain appealing while adhering to restrictions on preservatives like BHA or artificial colors.^[5] Beverages are kept simple to avoid hidden additives, prioritizing hydration and minimal fruit intake. Water and milk (plain, without flavors) are staples, supplemented by limited juices extracted from permitted fruits like pears or bananas to provide variety without excess salicylates.^[4] For comprehensive and updated guidance, the Feingold Association provides official food lists and shopping guides, which detail brand-specific products meeting the criteria and are revised annually based on ongoing research into additives.^[5] These resources help families identify safe alternatives in supermarkets, ensuring practical adherence to the diet's permitted items.^[20]

Implementation and Practicality

Stages of Adoption

The Feingold diet follows a structured, phased approach to identify and manage potential food-related triggers for behavioral or health issues, primarily through elimination and controlled reintroduction. In Stage 1, all artificial additives, including synthetic colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives such as BHA, BHT, and TBHQ, are completely removed from the diet, along with salicylate-containing foods like certain fruits, vegetables, and spices.^[9]^[21] This initial elimination phase typically lasts 4-6 weeks to establish a baseline and observe any improvements in symptoms, such as reduced hyperactivity or better focus.^[9]^[22] Following potential improvements in Stage 1, Stage 2 involves the gradual reintroduction of natural salicylates, one food or category at a time, to test for individual sensitivities.^[23]^[21] Each reintroduced item is monitored for 3-7 days before proceeding to the next, allowing families to pinpoint specific triggers while keeping artificial additives permanently excluded.^[9]^[22] Throughout both stages, families use monitoring tools like daily symptom journals to track behavioral changes, attention levels, and physical responses, supplemented by standardized behavioral checklists and regular consultations with registered dietitians to ensure nutritional balance.^[9] The adoption process has a variable duration depending on individual responses, with lifelong adherence recommended for any confirmed sensitivities to maintain benefits.^[9]^[22] The Feingold Association of the United States plays a key role by offering detailed phased guides, approved food lists, recipe resources, and support materials to assist families in navigating the diet's implementation.^[5]^[23]

Challenges for Families

Families face substantial logistical hurdles when adopting the Feingold diet, primarily due to its strict elimination requirements. Parents must diligently scrutinize ingredient labels on all packaged foods to exclude artificial colors, flavors, preservatives like BHA, BHT, and TBHQ, and salicylate-rich items such as certain fruits and vegetables.^[9] In shared household or school kitchens, careful planning is required to ensure meals avoid prohibited ingredients, such as preparing separate dishes or verifying shared items.^[11] Sourcing compliant products often involves seeking out specialty grocers, farmers' markets, or verified online suppliers, which can extend shopping time and effort considerably.^[11] The financial burden represents another key challenge, as the diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods, organic alternatives, and additive-free substitutes that typically cost more than conventional options. This shift can elevate grocery bills substantially, with families reporting increases tied to higher prices for fresh produce, natural sweeteners, and certified clean-label items.^[9] For instance, replacing processed snacks and convenience foods with homemade versions from scratch adds to both immediate expenses and long-term budgeting strains.^[9] Social and emotional difficulties further complicate adherence, particularly in ensuring family-wide compliance while navigating everyday scenarios. Restrictions on dining out, school lunches, and social events limit choices, often requiring families to prepare and transport meals or politely decline offers, which can lead to isolation or tension.^[9] Children may resist the changes or feel excluded at parties and peer gatherings due to forbidden treats, fostering frustration or anxiety around food; meanwhile, parents experience stress from enforcing rules consistently across the household.^[18] Despite these obstacles, modern developments have provided some relief since the diet's origins in the 1970s. The proliferation of clean-label products—those emphasizing natural ingredients without synthetic additives—has expanded dramatically, with the global clean-label ingredients market projected to reach USD 199.16 billion by 2034 from USD 136.11 billion in 2025, reflecting greater retail availability in mainstream stores.^[24] However, full implementation remains demanding in 2025, as not all regions offer equal access and label transparency varies. To mitigate these issues, families can leverage resources from the Feingold Association, including support groups for peer advice and annual shopping guides listing verified products; additionally, meal planning apps designed for elimination diets facilitate recipe organization and grocery lists.^[25]^[26]

Scientific Evaluation

Early Studies and Meta-Analyses

The Feingold diet gained initial attention through uncontrolled studies and presentations by its proponent, Benjamin Feingold, who reported improvement rates of 30-50% in hyperactive children following adoption of the additive-free regimen.^[15] In a 1975 publication, Feingold described clinical observations from his allergy practice where behavioral symptoms in a subset of children resolved upon elimination of salicylates and artificial additives, attributing these outcomes to the diet's restrictions without controlled comparisons. These early reports, often based on open-label observations in small clinical samples, suggested a potential link between food additives and hyperactivity but lacked rigorous controls to isolate dietary effects.^[15] Subsequent evaluations in the late 1970s and early 1980s highlighted significant methodological limitations in these initial studies, including absence of blinding, brief intervention durations typically under one month, and confounding influences from concurrent behavioral therapies or environmental changes.^[27] For instance, uncontrolled designs allowed for observer bias, where parents and clinicians aware of the dietary change might perceive improvements not objectively verifiable, while short study periods failed to assess sustained effects amid natural behavioral fluctuations in children.^[28] Additionally, small sample sizes—often fewer than 20 participants—limited statistical power and generalizability, exacerbating risks of Type II errors in detecting true effects.^[29] A pivotal 1983 meta-analysis by Kavale and Forness reviewed 23 studies on the Feingold hypothesis, calculating a composite effect size of d = 0.11, which was deemed clinically insignificant and indicative of no reliable efficacy for reducing hyperactivity.^[27] The analysis emphasized pervasive flaws such as inadequate randomization, unblinded assessments, and failure to control for placebo responses or co-interventions like stimulant medications, concluding that positive findings from early uncontrolled work were likely artifacts of these deficiencies.^[30] In the 1980s, broader reviews, including the 1982 National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Defined Diets and Childhood Hyperactivity, reinforced skepticism by noting that while some controlled trials showed minor symptom reductions in a limited subset of children, overall evidence pointed to placebo effects and small sample sizes as primary drivers of reported benefits rather than the diet itself.^[31] The conference highlighted inconsistent replication across studies, with double-blind challenges often failing to provoke hyperactivity upon additive reintroduction, attributing early enthusiasm to methodological weaknesses that inflated perceived promise.^[28] This scrutiny marked a shift, as initial optimism waned amid repeated failures to substantiate claims through replicable, high-quality research.^[29]

Recent Research Findings

A 2022 review published in Psychiatric Times examined dietary interventions for ADHD, including elimination diets like the Feingold approach, and reported mixed outcomes overall, with medium effect sizes observed in subsets of children exhibiting food sensitivities.^[32] Specifically, approximately 33% of participants in controlled trials showed substantial symptom reduction exceeding 40%, though predictors of response remain unclear.^[33] An updated 2025 Healthline analysis, citing a 2022 narrative review (PMC9608000), concluded there is no strong evidence linking artificial food additives or salicylates to ADHD symptoms in most children, but a small subset may experience behavioral improvements upon elimination.^[9]^[34] The review highlighted an effect size of 0.283 for artificial food colorings on hyperactivity, suggesting potential benefits for sensitive individuals, though genetic predispositions were not directly quantified.^[35] Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on elimination diets, including those targeting artificial colors and preservatives as in Feingold variants, indicate small to medium effect sizes (0.08–0.44) for reducing ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.^[7] Recent research has explored gut microbiome alterations and ADHD through dietary interventions, showing preliminary feasibility in small cohorts (n<100).^[32] A 2023 overview of non-pharmacological ADHD interventions noted potential promise in crossover studies of the Feingold diet but highlighted the absence of robust blinded RCTs and high participant burden as barriers to endorsement.^[8] Despite these findings, significant research gaps persist, including the need for larger randomized controlled trials to confirm efficacy beyond small-scale studies.^[34] The FDA has reaffirmed the general safety of approved food additives while supporting supervised elimination trials for individual cases, as evidenced by its 2025 ban on Red No. 3 due to broader health concerns.^[9]^[36]

Reception and Criticisms

Views from Medical Organizations

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not endorse the Feingold diet as a standard treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), citing insufficient evidence from controlled studies to support its broad efficacy.^[37] However, the AAP suggests that a trial of an additive-free diet like Feingold may be considered for selected patients, particularly those who do not respond to medication or whose parents oppose pharmacological interventions, but only under professional supervision to monitor nutritional status.^[37] This cautious approach stems from the diet's restrictiveness, which can be time-consuming and disruptive to family routines.^[37] In April 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the nation's food supply by the end of 2025, citing potential health risks including behavioral effects in children, though the FDA maintains that no established causal link to hyperactivity or ADHD symptoms has been definitively proven at approved levels.^[38]^[39] Similarly, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has evaluated studies on food colors and preservatives, concluding that while there may be limited evidence of small effects on behavior in some children, these are inconsistent, not clinically significant, and do not warrant changes to acceptable daily intake levels for the additives.^[40] Both organizations emphasize that approved additives pose no general safety risks when used as regulated.^[41]^[40] The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, through its 2018 ADHD guidelines (with no major updates on dietary interventions as of November 2025), does not recommend elimination diets such as Feingold as first-line treatments, prioritizing evidence-based pharmacological and behavioral therapies instead.^[42] NICE guidelines highlight the need for interventions supported by robust clinical trials, and diets are only noted peripherally without endorsement for routine use.^[42] Medical organizations express significant safety concerns regarding the Feingold diet's restrictiveness, including the risk of nutrient deficiencies—such as vitamins from limited fruit intake—if not carefully managed.^[15] The AAP and other experts recommend oversight by a qualified dietitian to prevent such deficiencies and ensure nutritional balance during any trial.^[37]^[15] Additionally, prolonged restrictive eating patterns may contribute to disordered eating behaviors in children, underscoring the need for short-term, supervised implementation only.^[15] As of 2025, some expert reviews aligned with medical consensus call for exploring personalized nutrition testing, such as identifying food sensitivities via supervised challenges, in cases where children show potential responsiveness to dietary modifications, though this remains adjunctive to standard therapies.^[43]

Advocacy Efforts and User Experiences

The Feingold Association of the United States (FAUS), established in 1976 as a nonprofit organization, leads advocacy efforts for the diet by offering membership-based support, including annually updated food lists, shopping guides, newsletters, and educational resources to assist families in avoiding prohibited additives.^[26]^[44] The association emphasizes community-driven promotion, with volunteers compiling brand-specific product information and hosting events to share implementation strategies. Based on member surveys and reports, FAUS claims that roughly 50% of families experience notable improvements in symptoms like hyperactivity.^[37] User experiences shared through FAUS platforms often highlight anecdotal benefits, such as decreased hyperactivity, improved focus, and better overall behavior in children after eliminating target additives. These personal accounts, compiled in the organization's "Our Kids" section, describe transformative outcomes for families, with many crediting the diet for providing a non-invasive alternative to manage attention-related challenges. Primarily adopted by parents seeking drug-free options for children with ADHD or similar issues, the diet appeals to those wary of medication side effects and focused on dietary interventions.^[45]^[25] Criticisms of these advocacy efforts include accusations of pseudoscience from skeptics, who argue that promotional materials overstate benefits without sufficient empirical backing. Quackwatch, for instance, has labeled the diet and its promotion as unsubstantiated, noting the association's sale of guides and cookbooks as potential commercial incentives that may encourage ongoing adherence despite evidence gaps.^[18] In modern contexts, the diet persists through adaptations like integration with general nutrition-tracking apps for scanning labels and monitoring compliance, allowing users to navigate contemporary food options more easily. Despite cautions from medical organizations regarding its limited evidence base, FAUS continues to foster a supportive network, maintaining relevance among families prioritizing holistic approaches.^[11]

Historical Development

Origins in Allergy Research

Benjamin Feingold, a prominent pediatric allergist, served as chief of the Allergy Department at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco during the mid-20th century. In his clinical practice treating children with allergic conditions such as hives and asthma, Feingold prescribed elimination diets that excluded salicylates—naturally occurring compounds in certain fruits and vegetables—and synthetic food additives to manage symptoms. These diets, initially adapted from established protocols for salicylate sensitivity, unexpectedly led to notable behavioral improvements in a subset of patients, with Feingold reporting that 30 to 50 percent of these children exhibited reduced hyperactivity and enhanced focus alongside resolution of their allergic reactions.^[25]^[1] Feingold's hypothesis originated from observations of adverse reactions to aspirin, a salicylate known to trigger urticaria and other allergic responses in sensitive individuals. He reasoned that similar sensitivities might extend to artificial food colors, flavors, and preservatives, which shared chemical profiles with salicylates and could provoke neurological effects in susceptible children. This idea built on prior allergy research linking dietary triggers to somatic symptoms but marked a novel extension to behavioral outcomes, positing that up to half of hyperactive cases might stem from such ingestions.^[1]^[2] In June 1973, Feingold formally introduced his findings at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association, marking the first public assertion of a causal connection between food additives and hyperactivity. He described dramatic behavioral reversals in 15 to 18 of 26 hyperkinetic children managed with the additive-free regimen, attributing these changes to the elimination of synthetic compounds. Lacking controlled trials, Feingold's claims relied on clinical anecdotes from his allergy practice, emphasizing the diet's potential as a non-pharmacological intervention.^[46]^[47] The diet's early dissemination accelerated in 1975 through national media coverage, including articles in major outlets like The New York Times, which detailed its restrictions and prompted inquiries from parents seeking alternatives for behavioral issues. Without empirical validation at inception, the approach spread primarily via word-of-mouth and journalistic reports, fostering grassroots adoption among families. Feingold later codified his protocol in the 1974 book Why Your Child Is Hyperactive, which outlined the diet's stages and garnered bestseller status, solidifying its place in public discourse on childhood behavior.^[48]^[2]

Evolution and Legacy

The nonprofit Feingold Association of the United States was founded in 1976 to promote the diet, and following Benjamin Feingold's death in 1982, it assumed leadership of its promotion and implementation, continuing his work through educational resources and community support.^[5]^[3] The association refined the original food lists by incorporating member feedback and product testing to identify and expand options for additive-free brands, including snacks, convenience foods, and beverages, ensuring the diet remained practical amid evolving commercial offerings.^[5] These updates emphasized an elimination approach, temporarily restricting salicylates and preservatives before reintroduction to pinpoint triggers, with ongoing revisions to reflect new formulations.^[5] In the 1980s and 1990s, the Feingold diet experienced a significant decline in mainstream acceptance, largely attributed to controlled clinical studies that failed to substantiate its broad efficacy for hyperactivity.^[37] A 1980 review by the Nutrition Foundation analyzed seven studies involving around 190 children and concluded that any behavioral improvements were small or attributable to placebo effects rather than additive elimination.^[18] This skepticism persisted into the 2000s, as meta-analyses reinforced limited evidence, leading to diminished medical endorsement and media coverage.^[37] However, niche interest revived in the 2000s and 2010s alongside broader clean-eating and organic food movements, which popularized avoidance of artificial additives for general health, drawing parallels to Feingold's principles without direct attribution in many cases.^[49] From 2020 to 2025, the Feingold diet's legacy has positioned it as a historical precursor to contemporary elimination diets for ADHD.^[32] Recent ADHD nutrition reviews indicate mixed empirical support, with modern variants incorporating probiotics and anti-inflammatory foods for broader behavioral benefits.^[50] These evolutions reflect its indirect role in shifting focus toward personalized dietary trials rather than universal application.^[9] The diet sparked widespread public debates on food additives in the 1970s and 1980s, amplifying parental advocacy and prompting calls for greater transparency in food production.^[2] Feingold himself advocated for legislative changes, including mandatory complete ingredient labeling and symbols for additives, which contributed to broader discussions on food labeling reforms. As of 2025, the Feingold diet maintains niche usage among families seeking non-pharmacological ADHD management, often as an initial step in tailored nutrition plans.^[9] It integrates into personalized medicine frameworks, where genetic and microbiome testing guide additive avoidance alongside other interventions like omega-3 supplementation.^[51] While not a first-line recommendation from major medical bodies, its principles endure in individualized approaches prioritizing food sensitivities.^[36]

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defined diets and childhood hyperactivity - PubMed - NIH
NIH Consensus Development Conference: defined diets and childhood hyperactivity. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1982 Oct;21(10):627-30. doi: 10.1177 ...Missing: Feingold | Show results with:Feingold
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Dietary Interventions for ADHD: Emerging Research and ...
Jul 18, 2022 · This article will examine current research about diet and ADHD, review important potential mechanisms (including the role of the immune system, gut microbiome, ...
[33]
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22176942/
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Eating Patterns and Dietary Interventions in ADHD - PubMed
Oct 16, 2022 · The purpose of this review is to examine which dietary patterns are most associated with ADHD and to summarize the existing evidence for the clinical use of ...Missing: Feingold | Show results with:Feingold
[36]
Food intolerance and oligoantigenic diet in children with attention ...
The main criticisms of the studies assessing the Feingold diet included poor experimental design, ambiguity in behavioral ratings, possible placebo effects and ...
[37]
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/129/2/330/32645/The-Diet-Factor-in-Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity
[38]
Trialling a microbiome-targeted dietary intervention in children with ...
May 23, 2022 · This study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility of a microbiome-targeted dietary intervention in children with ADHD.
[39]
https://www.fda.gov/food/color-additives-information-consumers/tracking-food-industry-pledges-remove-petroleum-based-food-dyes
[40]
The Diet Factor in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder | Pediatrics
Feb 1, 2012 · Diets to reduce symptoms associated with ADHD include sugar-restricted, additive/preservative-free, oligoantigenic/elimination, and fatty acid supplements.Omega-3 And -6 Fatty Acid... · Oligoantigenic... · Sugar, Aspartame, And Adhd
[41]
[PDF] Color Additives and Behavioral Effects in Children - FDA
Oct 7, 2019 · FDA's labeling regulations require that foods containing these color additives must declare the name of the color additive in the statement of ...
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EFSA evaluates Southampton study on food additives and child ...
Mar 14, 2008 · This study provided limited evidence that the mixtures of additives tested had a small effect on the activity and attention of some children.
[43]
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management
Mar 14, 2018 · This guideline covers recognising, diagnosing and managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, young people and adults.Recommendations · Tools and resources · Information for the public · ContextMissing: Feingold | Show results with:Feingold
[44]
Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms
However, Feingold's work was accepted by many parents, who formed the still-existing Feingold Association of the United States (FAUS) (established in 1976). The ...
[45]
FAUS - Our Kids - Feingold Association
Read some of these inspiring personal stories from families and individuals who have been positively impacted by the Feingold Diet.
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[PDF] feingold 1973 - Talking About The Science
Oct 30, 1973 · Ben Feingold of San. Francisco. He is chief-emeritus of the De- partment of Allergy of the Kaiser Found tion Hospitals and Permanente Medical.<|control11|><|separator|>
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Nutrition and Hyperactivity - JAMA Network
I first met Benjamin Feingold, MD, when he spoke at the June 1973 meeting of the American Medical Association in Chicago. He espoused his theory with great ...
[48]
List of Forbidden Items In Feingold K‐P Diet - The New York Times
Feb 9, 1975 · Dr. Ben F. Feingold's diet for hyperkinetic children eliminates two groups of food. The first includes all food that contains artificial colors ad flavors.
[49]
https://www.additudemag.com/eating-healthy-for-adhd-hard-unproven/
[50]
Nutrition in the Management of ADHD: A Review of Recent Research
Jul 28, 2023 · However, emerging evidence suggests that subgroups of children and adolescents with ADHD may benefit from the elimination of certain foods.
[51]
[PDF] Final Report to the Nutrition Foundation (1980) - Quackwatch
Feingold' s criteria, results in a drastic reduction of available fruits and vegetables, some studies have utilized a "modified. Feingold diet'' which is a diet ...
[52]
ADHD Diet Research 2025 | What the Latest Science Reveals
Nov 4, 2025 · Several well-conducted clinical trials have now shown that removing artificial food colorings can lead to a reduction in hyperactive behaviors ...