A clinical study of the diets of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) eat may have uncovered a potential source, or aggravator, of inattention – food allergies.

Data published in the medical journal The Lancet indicated that three in every five children with ADHD may derive some benefit from dietary restriction.

To test their hypothesis that particular food allergies heighten the symptoms of ADHD, a team of Dutch scientists monitored the diets and behaviors of 100 children between the ages of 4 and 8. Half were allowed to eat their typical diet, while the group placed the other half on a restricted regimen.

Those in the latter group consumed water, rice, white meat, pears and certain vegetables for five weeks. Approximately 60 percent of this group displayed an improvement in mood, attention or behavior.

The children whose symptoms improved were then gradually allowed to consume a greater variety of foods, which the researchers kept careful track of. If inattention returned, the team noted which foods had most recently been reintroduced.

Researchers concluded from their data that no single food appears to contribute significantly to ADHD, but that each child reacted to different dietary combinations.

They theorized that food allergies may be behind some cases of chronic inattention.

More than 5.4 million American children between the ages of 4 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.