The first time one suspects that a person has ADHD is when the person is inattentive and overactive. ADHD is not diagnosed using brain scans, blood tests, or other tests, but rather by observing how the person behaves. The problem of using behavior for diagnosis is that many other conditions also may show these same behaviors. One of the most common conditions that is overlooked in diagnosis is hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

The following are the common complaints of people with hypoglycemia:

- Forgetful, especially of people's names

- Difficulty in school although intelligence is normal

- Tendency to insult people without meaning to

- Itching and crawling sensation in the skin

- Cannot get organized

- Difficulty handling stress

- Cries easily

- Gets angry easily

- When depressed, eating ice cream or candy picks them up

- Needs coffee or caffeine in soft drink to keep going

- Bothered by light

- Night sweats

- Sensitive to color, sound, and odor

- Dizziness when getting up quickly from a reclining position

- Frequent colds

- Dry mouth

- Drowsiness after a sweet or starchy meal

- Has nightmares often

- Have difficulty keeping a job

People with hypoglycemia have many of the same behavior problems as those with ADHD. Certain drugs, hormone deficiency, organ failure, liver problems, or alcohol may cause hypoglycemia, but the most common cause is a poor diet heavy in refined sugars and flours. Poor nutrition may also be one of the mitigating factors in ADHD.

Serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters involved in ADHD, is also related to hypoglycemia. A person low in serotonin will be inclined to consume greater amounts of sugar in an attempt to increase serotonin production, which may lead to sugar addiction. Insulin is produced to process the sugar in the body, and such addiction can lead to insulin resistance. At first it starts at a mild level but over time unstable concentration of blood sugar causes diabetes. Also, erratic sugar levels in the blood and brain explain some of the variable psychological symptoms of hypoglycemia.

According to the ADHD Help Center, changing the diet to natural whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables can alleviate and even reverse the symptoms of ADHD and hypoglycemia. The Center recommends the following:

- Eliminate all sugar, aspartame or NutraSweet from the diet; stevia is the only sugar substitute that should be used.

- Eliminate fast food and school lunches from the diet.

- Eliminate processed foods that might have monosodium glutamate (MSG), preservatives, food dyes, or other chemicals.

- Drink filtered water and fresh vegetable juice.

- Eliminate soft drinks, caffeinated beverages, and cow's milk from the diet.

- Eliminate white bread and white rice from the diet; instead use whole grain breads, brown rice, and other grains.

Many of these recommendations are similar to those of other diets. However, most nutritionists recommend similar changes in the diet for healthy living.

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