Benjamin Feingold
Encyclopedia
Benjamin F. Feingold, M.D., (born June 15, 1899 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, USA; died, March 23, 1982) was a pediatric allergist from California, who proposed in 1973 that salicylates, artificial colors, and artificial flavors cause hyperactivity in children. (Hyperactivity is now medically classified as attention deficit disorder [ADD] or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
[ADHD]).
, Pennsylvania
. He performed his internship at Passavant Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
from 1924 to 1925. He did a fellowship in Pathology at the University of Göttingen, Germany
in 1927. Between 1928 and 1929, he worked under Professor Clemens von Pirquet
.
, Austria
from 1928 to 1929. From 1929 to 1932, he was clinical instructor of Pediatrics at the Northwestern University
School of Medicine. From 1932 to 1958, he worked as attending physician in Pediatrics and in Infectious Diseases at Los Angeles County General Hospital, Los Angeles, CA. He also worked as attending physician in Pediatrics at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, CA from 1932 to 1941, and at Los Angeles Children's Hospital from 1932 to 1951. He was Chief of Pediatrics at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, and an Associate in Allergy at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital from 1945 to 1951. In 1951 he joined the Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Permanente Medical Group, and established all of the Departments of Allergy for Northern California. From 1952 to 1969 he was Kaiser's chief of Allergy, and the chairman of their central research committee.
, and BHT
. There has been much debate about the efficacy of the diet, with many mainstream medical practitioners denying that it is of any use, while many people living with ADHD, parents of children with ADHD, and a large number of medical practitioners claim that it is effective in the management of ADHD and a number of other conditions.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, USA; died, March 23, 1982) was a pediatric allergist from California, who proposed in 1973 that salicylates, artificial colors, and artificial flavors cause hyperactivity in children. (Hyperactivity is now medically classified as attention deficit disorder [ADD] or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
[ADHD]).
Education
Dr Feingold received a BS degree in 1921, and an MD in 1924, from the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He performed his internship at Passavant Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
from 1924 to 1925. He did a fellowship in Pathology at the University of Göttingen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1927. Between 1928 and 1929, he worked under Professor Clemens von Pirquet
Clemens von Pirquet
Clemens Peter Freiherr von Pirquet was an Austrian scientist and pediatrician best known for his contributions to the fields of bacteriology and immunology....
.
Professional career
Dr Feingold worked as the house officer at the children's clinic of the University of ViennaUniversity of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
from 1928 to 1929. From 1929 to 1932, he was clinical instructor of Pediatrics at the Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
School of Medicine. From 1932 to 1958, he worked as attending physician in Pediatrics and in Infectious Diseases at Los Angeles County General Hospital, Los Angeles, CA. He also worked as attending physician in Pediatrics at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, CA from 1932 to 1941, and at Los Angeles Children's Hospital from 1932 to 1951. He was Chief of Pediatrics at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, and an Associate in Allergy at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital from 1945 to 1951. In 1951 he joined the Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Permanente Medical Group, and established all of the Departments of Allergy for Northern California. From 1952 to 1969 he was Kaiser's chief of Allergy, and the chairman of their central research committee.
Personal life
He married Lois Maxine Adler November 18, 1930. They had four children, all born in Los Angeles, California. From 1941 to 1945 he was a commander in the US Naval Reserve. He and Lois were divorced in 1950. He married Helene Samuels on June 21, 1951.Publications
Besides numerous technical publications in the fields of allergy and basic immunology, he published the books Introduction to Clinical Allergy, Why your child is hyperactive, and the Feingold cookbook for hyperactive children.The Feingold diet
To treat or prevent hyperactivity, Feingold suggested a diet that was free of salicylates, artificial colors, artificial flavors, BHAButylated hydroxyanisole
Butylated hydroxyanisole is an antioxidant consisting of a mixture of two isomeric organic compounds, 2-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole. It is prepared from 4-methoxyphenol and isobutylene. It is a waxy solid used as a food additive with the E number E320...
, and BHT
Butylated hydroxytoluene
Butylated hydroxytoluene , also known as butylhydroxytoluene, is a lipophilic organic compound that is primarily used as an antioxidant food additive as well as an antioxidant additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil, and embalming...
. There has been much debate about the efficacy of the diet, with many mainstream medical practitioners denying that it is of any use, while many people living with ADHD, parents of children with ADHD, and a large number of medical practitioners claim that it is effective in the management of ADHD and a number of other conditions.