Dr. Ben F. Feingold was an eminent pediatrician and allergist, and was Chief of Allergy at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco. As he worked with patients he suspected of being sensitive to aspirin, he began to notice that they also reacted to some foods and food additives. He found, to his surprise, that not only did some people have physical reactions, but many experienced changes in their behavior.
Although it is well-known that things like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and chemicals like drugs can affect behavior, most people don't consider that chemicals added to foods may do the same. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Dr. Feingold developed what he named the "KP" diet. (It was based on the Lockey allergy diet used at the Mayo Clinic.) Dr. Feingold found that he could help about half of the children who were diagnosed with what was then called hyperkinesis or hyperactivity. Later, when he also eliminated the petrochemical preservatives BHT and BHA (the similar TBHQ did not yet exist), he found he could help about 70% of these children. The media changed the name of the KP Diet to the Feingold Diet, and parent support groups chose the names "Feingold Association" and "Feingold Program" to honor the doctor who had helped their families. More information about Dr. Feingold. |