Your Diet and Tourette Syndrome

Many of us have been wondering what could possibly be the correct diet regimen for people who have Tourette Syndrome. For people who are very meticulous with what they eat, they also sometimes wonder whether certain ingredients affect the production of tics in individuals with Tourette Syndrome. Unfortunately, this is where all the complications come in.

It is universally accepted that if we eat healthy then good health will follow.
Same concept lies in consuming foods containing too much fat which can lead to high levels of cholesterol in the body which can eventually lead to heart disease. But then again the question still remains whether there are some foods that lead to the symptoms present in an individual with Tourette Syndrome.

One needs to understand that the symptoms of Tourette Syndrome wax and wane during the course of the illness. This means that there are times when the symptoms are less and there are also times when the symptoms are at their peak. In connecting these to the diet of the person, you will really come to terms when you might be questioning your own nutrition that may lead to the changes in symptoms. Another thing is whether there are certain cyclical events that can also lead to having the symptoms of the disorder. One example is a woman’s menstrual cycle. According to Dr. Gerald Erenberg, the medical advisory board of the Tourette Syndrome Clinic at Cleveland, there are actually two theories that explains the relation of nutrition with the symptoms of Tourette syndrome.

“…that certain components in food lead to the symptoms, acting in that individual like a toxin or poison, and two, that the symp­toms are due to food allergies.”

There were a variety of foods that have been regarded as possible crooks in leading to tics or that of ADHD. The first report on this was documented by Dr. Feingold. He said that SUGAR and ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS cause the problems. Because of this discovery, Dr. Feingold came up with a diet called the FEINGOLD DIET. Many people found this to be true and felt that this is the nutritional answer to what causes Tourette Syndrome and ADHD. Eventually, other food groups have also been suggested that may cause these disorders. These foods are GLUTEN and DAIRY PRODUCTS.

Considering those food groups, it is an important note that the effect of these foods may not be the same for each individual. Others may find these effective, and others may not. Consequently, foods containing these ingredients may cause problems with an individual, but not with the other. The diet will now be a combination diet restricting all of the suspected ingredients. But still, this is an impossible diet to follow since most of us especially children consume some of these ingredients almost everyday. Taking for example, a 7 year old child diagnosed with Tourette syndrome who, in most cases, would take his daily dose of milk.

The second theory entails that any person can be allergic to any foods. Dr. Erenderg said that the allergic reaction shows up as tics and behavioral problems rather than the usual allergic reactions such as itching, bloating, hot flushes, rashes, etc. When we think that the person is allergic to certain kinds of foods, we subject the person to tests and put on an elimination diet to see what foods cause the increase in tics. For most people, this is a very challenging undertaking especially if the foods that were supposed to be eliminated are our favorite foods. And also because of the fact that the reliability of the tests used to diagnose food allergies are being questioned by the doctors themselves.

The facts mentioned above plus the oscillating symptoms of the disorder makes it even more complicated, complicating the question whether the increase in tics is due to cause and effect or just because of the standard course of the illness. This concept also applies in pharmacotherapy or the use of medications to manage symptoms of Tourette Symptom. The question also lies whether the tics are managed because of the effects of medication or just because of the waxing and waning of the symptoms of the disorder.

So what should you do then? Well, there is no definite answer as to what foods to avoid. It’s just keeping track on what you eat and finding out if these foods actually lessen your tics. It is often advised to keep a food diary. In this way, you will be monitoring the effects of the foods you consume on your tics so that the actual effects of these foods will be more concrete rather than just assuming that certain foods actually cause the tics. It is better if you do this yourself rather than just relying on hearsays.

Now, I think most of the people diagnosed have been taking supplements to aid them in controlling the symptoms of Tourette syndrome. Here’s the deal about supplements available today. While there have been many anectodal reports saying the efficiency of these supplements in the treatment and/ or management of Tourette Syndrome, the predicament of these supplements lies on which one to take because makers of these products claim that their products are more effective than others. Some of these supplements are the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, products from organic sources (grape seed extract, blue green algae, omega-3 oil) and other herbal products. Oftentimes we are more enthusiastic if these supplements are based on some proven scientific studies. But unfortunately, there are not enough studies to lead us to these supplements reliability. One thing you need to look for if it is approved by BFAD (Bureau of Food and Drugs in the Philippines) in the Philippines or FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the US or its counterpart in your country for the products’ effectiveness and safety. Because some of these supplements especially herbal products contains potentially dangerous contaminants. And oftentimes, the efficiency of these products vary from supplier to supplier or varies within different batches of the same supplier.

All of these information should lead us to be very smart consumers. And we should also keep in mind that TOURETTE SYNDROME HAS NO CURE. All the products available to treat or manage the disorder provide the purpose of controlling the tics just so the individual will not have a hard time. It is also an important note to keep in mind that the tics wax and wane during the course of the illness. The thing is, take in what works best for you. I would also like you to remember that the PROGNOSIS IS GENERALLY GOOD...BUT THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS MAY PERSIST AND CAN DEBILITATE THE PERSON MORE THAN THE TICS THEMSELVES. We may be more focused on the tics of the person that we forget the person behind the disorder who is first and foremost an individual before becoming an individual with Tourette Syndrome.

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This article was written from a reference article by Dr. Gerald Erenberg entitled "Is There a Connection Between Nutrition and an Increase in TS Symptoms?"