Dr. Finegold proposed that at least half of the children diagnosed as hyperactive would be helped if they eliminated factory produced soft drinks, cake, candy, pudding, processed cheeses, and luncheon meats. He also said foods such as cucumbers and many fruits containing salicylates contributed to hyperactivity but his data was regarded with some skepticism by other scientists because it was pretty weak. The idea essentially was that eating sugar triggered insulin spikes which led to adrenaline spikes and hyperactivity.