Is Bread the Root of All Evil for ADHDers?

A to Z Blogging Challenge- B is for Bread!

All my life, I’ve loved bread. When I was in kindergarten, I liked coming home after school and listening to the Bread and Jam for Frances record whilst eating sourdough toast with strawberry jam. When I lived in Germany, I loved eating the warm, crusty Brötchen (rolls) with gobs of fresh cheese. Garlic bread can put me into a culinary trance, I love a yeasty pizza crust, and all kinds of German bread. (German bread and bakery items are the best in the world. Forget France).

What does B is for Bread have to do with ADHD?

A few years ago, my friend Liz, a PE teacher, told me how she cut out all gluten, wheat, and a bunch of other toxins from her diet. She told me that I may want to consider cutting out wheat because it could be a neurotoxin for people with ADHD!

My husband Kevin had gone stone cold gluten free because a doctor had diagnosed him with an allergy to it. He no longer was plagued by horrible headaches and diarrhea after eating wheat.  His chronic exhaustion had lifted. My brother Andrew cut out wheat a few years ago because it made him sneeze.  I didn’t think I needed to give it up because I didn’t have those symptoms.

I had given up recreational sugar, alcohol, and was not thrilled about giving up gluten. But Liz had planted a seed. Since then, I’ve cut out most wheat and gluten (I call it gluten-less), and feel better.  On days that I have eaten bread, I’ve gotten a brain fog, or grain brain. I couldn’t really tell the difference until I had gone a few weeks without eating wheat.

About a year ago, I shared a crusty baked loaf of garlic bread with my daughter. After eating it, I felt super spacey and as if aliens had given me a frontal lobotomy.

Scientific Evidence

Grain brain, bread head, or whatever you want to call it is not something that Liz or I made up. Dr. Mercola states that Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) ”has been found to be inflammatory, immunotoxic, cardiotoxic, and neurotoxic, and it can pass through your blood-brain barrier and interfere with neurotransmitter function.” He also adds, “Gluten intolerance may be at the root of many chronic diseases, including many neurological and psychiatric conditions such as depression, ADD/ADHD, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.“

Eeeeek!

I was at a friend’s Arbonne party this weekend and the leader was saying that wheat is in some skin care products, sometimes under different names. That means that we ADHDers could be poisoning ourselves just by rubbing on body lotion after a shower.

IS Bread the Root of All Evil for ADHDers?

The bread of the bible and the bread of our ancestors, even 100 years ago, is not the wacko wheat of today. Back then, wheat contained more nutrients.

Wheat today has become its evil zombie twin. It cannot grow by itself in the wild, and is shot with radiation to mutate it, in addition to being sprayed with noxious pesticides. You aren’t even safe with organic wheat. In the last 50 years, celiac disease has increased 400%.  The rates of autism have skyrocketed, in addition to increased ADHD diagnoses.  Could wheat be part of the culprit?

Thus, consider eliminating wheat from your diet for at least 4 weeks and see what happens. I can’t guarantee that you will suddenly become super organized, focused, and perpetually punctual.  However, I’ll bet you’ll feel different. Keep me posted on your results and what you notice!

P.S. I wonder how many children would be able to function better in school if they went gluten free and school lunches weren’t so carbed up?