The Hyperactive Children's Support Group is a registered charity which has been successfully helping ADHD/Hyperactive children and their families for over 30 years. The HACSG is Britain's leading proponent of a dietary approach to the problem of hyperactivity.

In 1987 the HACSG, with the support of Professor Neil Ward, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Surrey and the Group's Scientific Director, found that, out of a total of 357 children who had been diagnosed as hyperactive, 87% had adverse reactions to artificial colourings and 72% to artificial preservatives in food. Similar results were discovered in 1993 at the Institute of Child Health, and as long ago as 1987 a Scottish psychiatrist, Dr. Ian Menzies, obtained consistently positive results in treating hyperactive children by removing artificial additives from their diet. Similarly, a recent report published by the Food Commission confirms that studies involving 277 children on the Isle of Wight have shown food additives to be a major cause of misconduct in children.

A new study commissioned by the FSA and carried out at Southampton University was published in the medical journal The Lancet in September 2007. Its findings support the Isle of Wight research results, and show a definite link between food additives and behavioural problems such as hyperactivity and allergic reactions. Go to our News page for more details.The results of this latest study have led to calls to ban all artificial additives in food for children especially and major supermarket chains in Britain such as Sainsbury's have removed all additives from their own brand products such as soft drinks and children's meals. ( see News page). This is a very positive step forward.

The HACSG Food & Behaviour Diary is now available on line. Click below for free PDF version.

Food & Behaviour Diary