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Sodium Benzoate-Rich Beverage Consumption is Associated With Increased Reporting of ADHD Symptoms in College Students: A Pilot Investigation
Journal of Attention Disorders, 04/27/2012
Clinical Article
Beezhold BL et al. – The data suggest that a high intake of sodium benzoate–rich beverages may contribute to ADHD–related symptoms in college students.
Methods- College students (N = 475) completed an anonymous survey in class in fall 2010.
- The survey assessed recent intake of a noninclusive list of sodium benzoate–rich beverages and ADHD-related symptoms using a validated screener.
- Sodium benzoate–rich beverage intake was significantly associated with ADHD-related symptoms (p = .001), and significance was retained after controlling for covariates.
- Students scoring ≥4 on the screener (scores that may be consistent with ADHD; n = 67) reported higher intakes (34.9 ± 4.4 servings/month) than the remainder of the sample (16.7 ± 1.1 servings/month).