ADHD/Glutamates/Salicylates (from Australia)

My approach to ADD ADHD

Several factors involving cerebral Zinc (? and other metals), salicylates and glutamates.

For lists of these foods see http://www.zipworld.com.au/~ataraxy/Salic_03.txt

An overview is provided at http://209.1.158.41/b_nutrition/02solutions/03rx/food/food3.htm

What we know.

1] Tartrazine (food additive 102) can cause hyperactivity. Check out food colourings at http://ificinfo.health.org/brochure/foodcolr.htm

2] Tartrazine causes acute zinc loss in the urine (zincouria).

3] Those sensitive to 102 are usually sensitive to dietary (and prescribed) salicylates and glutamates.

4] Salicylates bind minerals such as copper (and probably zinc). Copper salicylates have been used in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

5] The compound Zinc-salicylate has similar biological appearance to glycine.

6] Glycine is an amino acid and inhibitory neurotransmitter.

7] Glutamate is an excitatory transmitter. MSG (additive 621) is a glutamate. Glutamates occur naturally in foods.

8] Salicylates require glycine for liver metabolism. Salicylglycine is the main excreted metabolite.

9] Salicylates accumulate in most fruits and some vegetables prior to ripening so as to defend themselves against being eaten. In the last 3 days of ripening, salicylate levels fall as antioxidants enter from the stem of the plant. For example, one large green apple will be converted to about 150mg of salicylate.

10] Green harvesting (picking fruit 7 days prior to ripening) will produce high salicylate, low antioxidant foods. Green harvesting is widely practiced in WA.

11] Because of generalized soil deficiencies, most of WA food sources are lower in zinc and selenium than ever before. Please note: The farmers know about this, the Agriculture Dept knows about this. The only group who do not know about this are the medical profession.

12] There are many foods that contain glutamates and salicylates. Apart from the obvious (additive 621 MSG), tomatoes, yeast extracts, tomato sauce, gravies, stock cubes, tomato paste, salami’s, meat pies, seasoned meats, grapes, plums, prunes, raisins, sultanas broccoli, mushrooms and spinach.

13] Hence, even "healthy eating" will result in low zinc, high salicylate condition. It will also put strain on glycine reserves.

Hypothesis.

1] Low or borderline low cerebral zinc levels will become further compromised by high salicylate diet.

2] Zinc-salicylate or Zinc-Tartrazine may competitively compete for glycine binding sites.

3] Glutamates are excitatory and so a combination of low zinc, high salicylate, high glutamate food such as pie and sauce or vegemite on toast could lead hyperactivity or another altered mental state.

4] If you combine the effect of Zinc soil deficiencies and high salicylate, high glutamate diet and no wonder WA has such a high rate of ADD/ADHD.

Diagnostic and treatment regimen.

1] Measure RBC zinc locally. I suggest Clinipath, but do not use their reference range as a guide. It is not useful for several reasons. If most of WA is deficient, then how can they provide a normal? Moreover, they have not (and cannot) sample randomly from the community at large to attain such values. In fact they use crossover testing. For example, if a patient's FBP is normal, they will assume that the RBC is also normal and include them in the melting pot of results. Now if the indication for the FBP was recurrent infections, then low zinc (despite a normal FBP) could well be the cause (not usually thought of by doctors although extremely well documented for about half a century now). If the physician is investigating hypoglycaemia, then zinc deficiency most often causes post-prandial hypoglycaemia, and glucose is usually normal (and hence put into the "normal" zincs) at the time of testing, because the doctor has not listened to the patient symptoms ("But doctor, I feel like my blood sugar is low 2-3 hours after a meal, not first thing in the morning"). The same is true for the investigation of joint pain, allergy, asthma, depression, infertility and hair loss. The FBP, LFT's and U&E's will be usually be normal and hence the zinc levels from these patients will bias the pool. If these are the type of samples being used for normals, then obviously they do not represent a normal population and make a mockery of any statistical approach to blood level testing.

2] If the level is less than 200 micromol/L, start zinc supplements. I use 1.5 to 2 mg/kg for the first month, usually in liquid form such as Metagenics "Zinc Drink" or "Orthoplex Zymin". Don't be squeamish, the toxic dose of zinc is 2000mg and most people will just vomit after 200mg.

3] Start a strict low salicylate diet. Beware, although most parents will flatly deny that they give their children anything unhealthy, most of these children will, in fact, be "addicted" to one of the high salicylate high glutamate foods (tomato sauce, peanut paste, muesli bars, gravies...), so be tough. Although unhappy at first, they'll thank you for it afterwards, I can promise you.

4] If you can, also measure RBC Magnesium, ferritin, Vitamin C, selenium and helicobacter serology.

5] Optimal levels, for RBC Mg is >2.30 mmol/L, ferritin is >30 micromol/L, Vitamin C is 50 micromol/L. Selenium is >1.0 micromol/L.

6] If you find helicobacter, treat it. It causes malabsorption years before it causes reflux, heartburn or ulcers. Iron deficiency precedes ulcers by at least 12 months!! Think of how many patients you've sent for endoscopies for investigation of iron deficiency who only had helicobacter with no ulcers and no occult faecal blood? How could this happen? Helicobacter causes parietal cell dysfunction. You need parietal cells to make the HCl to ionise Iron, Magnesium and Calcium. Your parietal cells need Vitamin B1, B6 and Zinc to make HCl. If you don't make acid then low acid food entering the duodenum will not stimulate the pancreas to make picolinic acid which is used to absorb zinc and chromium. Everyone knows this except the Gastroenterologists!

7] Just removing salicylates from the diet or just giving zinc will not always work. The other issues of low zinc low antioxidant intake and glutamates must be dealt with too.