Stop Tics Today Blog

Our doctor never told me that foods could be making my daughter’s tics worse

Why wasn’t the mother in this photo told that foods (or drinks!) might be triggering tics in her child? Because her doctor didn’t know. In fact, some physicians even tell parents that it is “impossible” that tics are related to diet.

Well, they’re dead wrong.

Just because popular organizations like the Tourette Syndrome Association have failed to pursue a link between diet and tics doesn’t mean the link does not exist. In fact, the connection between foods and tics has been reported by integrative doctors, adults with tics, and observant parents for decades, as well as in limited research.

No one has focused on collecting information  on the link between diet and tics and informing the public, except us.

Our organization ACN Latitudes has been spreading our findings on the important diet and tic connection, including Tourette syndrome, for 20 years!

What we need now are studies.

Where traditional research on tics has missed the boat

It’s common knowledge that diet plays an important role in high blood pressure, migraines, heart disease, diabetes, hives, depression, asthma, allergies, hyperactivity, and a long list of other conditions.

Well, what about the role of diet in Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders?

To date, mainstream medicine has spent millions of dollars trying to discover causes and treatments for tics. Unfortunately, the results have been dismal. The causes have not been identified and the treatments are often ineffective and dangerous.

With standard treatment, patients as young as four years of age are offered strong drugs to control tics, yet families are not even aware of the possible role of diet and the environment in the child’s tics.

In severe cases, electrodes are even placed in the brain while other possible avenues such as controlling for allergies, chemical exposures, and any dietary factors have not been considered.

What observant doctors and families tell us

When someone has a food allergy, sensitivity or intolerance, and they eat the offending foods, tics can be triggered or aggravated. Whether there will be a reaction, and what items may cause the reaction, differ with individuals.

You can read the family reports shared on our website www.latitudes.org where parents or adults with tics share what they discovered about diet and tics. Check these reports  out here.    You will see that there is not a one-size-fits all diet that works for everyone to reduce tics. What bothers one person may not affect another.  In fact, some people may not find a connection at all. But it is well worth the effort to explore this area.

Finding new answers through research on diet and tic disorders

Foods can play a key role in tics or they may simply be one of several aggravating factors for a person.

For some people, the answer to their tics is right in their kitchen.

We would love to have your story with insights you’ve found on diet and tics. Contact page.

Please join the fight by funding research on the diet and tic connection. Donate here.

Find the Causes of Tics to Find the Cures

Did you know that tic disorders like Tourette syndrome are diagnosed with a simple, short check list? Yet when a diagnosis is given, it often remains with someone their entire life.

Most unfortunately, the diagnosis of a tic disorder fails to tell us why the person has tics. No evaluation is required in conventional medicine to learn what may be causing the tics. Instead, drugs are routinely prescribed in an effort to subdue the tics.

Research is needed on the causes and triggers for tics

ACN Latitudes has been collecting data on causes of tics since 1996. Doctors and families report a link between tic symptoms and any number of factors such as nutritional imbalances, viral or bacterial infections, allergies, heavy metal overload, food sensitivities, toxic exposures, artificial colors, flavors and preservatives in foods, reactions to medications, physical imbalances (body structure), and immune system dysfunction, among others.

Our online survey with 1,670 participants confirmed several categories of environmental triggers for tics that could often be controlled if people were made aware of them. Sadly, mainstream approaches to tics fail to include the concept of triggers.

We need research to define all causes of tics so that preventive measures can be taken and targeted, effective treatments can be offered.

Please see how you can help. “It’s easy to get involved.”

No Father Should Have To Worry About Passing On A Tic Disorder

Tourette syndrome affects males more often than females. Men who grew up with a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome are often concerned they will pass the condition on to their children. That’s because Tourette’s has been described in the literature as a genetic condition for which little can be done.

Further, families are told that it is a “mysterious” condition with symptoms that “come and go” without a known cause.

Well, that’s not every empowering! No wonder fathers worry.

As new research is conducted through Stop Tics Today, we will learn more about the role of the environment, the immune system, diet, and a variety of natural approaches that can reduce. Families and doctors will learn what they can do to prevent and reduce symptoms, without resorting to strong medications.

And fathers won’t have to worry so much.

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