Natural Approaches to ADHD

Nutritional Breakthroughs for ADHD by Angela Stengler, ND Could food allergies be causing your child's ADHD? After a child has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, many parents come to me with questions and concerns regarding their child's diagnosis and possible treatments. No one is really sure what causes hyperactivy in children, although there are plenty of culprits people point to--sugar sensitivities, environmental toxins, food allergies--but no one thing has been identified as the specific cause. Unfortunately, when a diagnosis is made, quite often the only solution provided to parents is a prescription for stimulants like Ritalin. However, drugs are not your only choice and there are natural therapies available to you that can safely and effectively treat ADHD in your child--and without any of the negative side effects caused by some drug therapies. I have outlined several below. Read them, and then consult with your pediatrician or naturopath to see which treatment would be best suited for your child. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ADHD Food additives Over 5,000 food additives are present in the food supply, and according to Benjamin Feingold, MD, 40 to 50 percent of all hyperactive children have some sort of sensitivity to the artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives used in many processed foods. Feingold bases his claims on 1,200 cases of learning and behavior disorders observed in childern that were linked directly to food additives. This seems to suggest that there is a direct correlation between diets high in processed foods and hyperactivity in children. How Villainous is Sugar? For some kids, sugar is a major factor in mood, behavior and attention patterns. It has been demonstrated that destructive, aggressive and restless behavior correlates directly with the amount of sugar consumed on a daily basis. Once again, diet is both the problem and the solution. Food Allergies/Sensitivities The most common food sensitivities in children are to the following foods: •sugar •cow's milk •wheat •chocolate •soy •citrus fruit •corn •peanuts Double-blind studies have shown that when children with ADHD follow a hypoallergenic diet, substantial improvement in their symptoms are demonstrated. It should be noted that food sensitivities and food allergies are not the same thing. Food allergies are present when a child exhibits severe reactions to allergens--like peanuts or albumen from eggs--present in foods. Symptoms can include, shortness of breath, breaking out in hives, vomiting or anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition which is characterized by the swelling of the throat and tongue. Food sensitivities are exhibited when a child is given food--like dairy products in the lactose intolerant child--which he is unable to digest properly. Commonly, he will experience indigestion, gas or irritable bowels as a result of eating these foods. If you suspect a food allergy in your child, make an appointment to get him tested. Dietary Steps You Can Take 1. Add more whole foods to the diet (whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fish) while eliminating (or at least decreasing) processed foods that contain white flour, processed sugars and hydrogenated oils (i.e, chips, cookies and sodas). 2. It goes without saying that you should make it your business to read the ingredient labels on all food products you buy for your children. Many parents don't realize that much of the pre-packaged food--including supermarket multi-vitamins and the so-called "fruit" drinks--they give to their children is loaded with artificial sweeteners, preservatives, dyes and other harmful additives that could be triggering specific behavioral and health problems in their children. If the chemical ingredients outnumber organic ingredients--or if they are the first few ingredients listed--on a food label, you may want to consider buying something else. Check labels on milk, meat and eggs too because many farmers feed hormones and antibiotics to their livestock. 3. Shop for organic fruits, vegetables and meats. These are foods that have been grown according to specific agricultural practices (typcially without using chemical pesticides or fertilizers). Hit the health food store for whole grain breads and healthy snacks to give to your kids in place of the processed ones they've been eating. Not only do these foods taste great, but they are much better for your kids overall health (many are lower in fats and sugars). 4. Natural sugars like those found in fruit and fruit juices, or natural sweeteners like honey, blackstrap molasses and rice bran syrup, should replace all processed sugars in your child's diet (this includes raw or brown sugars). If your child drinks a lot of soda make the switch to 100 percent fruit juices and dilute them 50 percent with water. Instead of those sugary breakfast cerals, try feeding your kids oatmeal topped with honey and fresh fruit, or give them naturally sweetened granola or muesli. They'll have more energy between breakfast and lunch, and their teachers will love you for it. 5. Eliminate all the foods listed under Food Allergies/Sensitivies from your child's diet for four weeks and see if their behavior improves. Wheat alternatives, such as oat, kamut and spelt, are available at most health food stores as are milk alternatives like calcium-enriched rice or oat milk. Both taste great and come in flavors like chocolate and vanilla. Yogurt made from goat's milk should be substituted for products made from cow's milk (the same is true for cheeses, too). Other Potential Factors Could food allergies be causing your child's ADHD? NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES & ADHD Nutritional deficiencies are a widespread cause of learning and behavior problems in children. Studies have shown increased intelligence in children who added multivitamin supplements to their daily diets. Thiamin, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc are nutrients that play a vital role in proper brain and nervous system function. Many ADHD children can benefit from an extra 500 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium and magnesium in their diet. Food sources are the best means for incorporating these important nutrients into your child's diet (especially as laid out in the previous dietary steps), but if your child can't drink milk or doesn't like to eat his green leafy veggies, vitamin supplements are the next best answer. American Kids Iron Deficient Surprisingly, the most common nutrient deficiency in American children is iron deficiency (again, a direct result of a nutrionally deficient diet). Studies have linked iron deficiency with decreased attentiveness, a narrow attention span and decreased voluntary activity. These symptoms are usually reversed after supplementation. A severe deficiency in iron can lead to anemia, which in turn can lead to listlessness, tiredness and low energy levels in children--symptoms which make it difficult for children to pay attention in school. If you suspect that your child is anemic have him tested by your physician. Always have your child tested for iron deficiency before administering iron supplements. Legumes, green leafy vegetables, blackstrap molasses and lean red meats are the best sources for iron. Look for liquid iron supplements, which are easier for kids to take, and are less likely to cause constipation or stomach upset--two of the occasional side effects of iron supplementation in children. What Are Smart Fats? Current research shows a link between learning and behavioral difficulties and deficiencies in essential fatty acids (EFAs) like docosahexanoic acid (DHA), one of the most important essential fatty acids. EFAs are commonly referred to as Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. Oils, like evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil and borage oil, are high in EFAs. DHA plays a pivotal role in brain and retina development in babies, and the richest sources of it are a mother's breast milk and fish oils. Researchers at Purdue University looked at the levels of essential fatty acids in children, especially DHA, and found that kids with ADHD tended to have significantly lower levels of essential fatty acids in their blood. Children with ADHD should be given vitamin supplements that contain a combination of essential fatty acids that includes DHA. Nursing your children for as long as possible, and--when they are older--getting them to eat deep water fish like salmon, halibut and tuna are ways to ensure they get enough essential fatty acids into their diet during the crucial developmental years (when the body is still growing and in need of quality nutrients). Phosphatidylserine Phosphatidylserine (known as PS) is a specific brain nutrient that can be supplemented to help promote proper brain and neurological function. It works to balance the cell-to-cell communication that occurs in the brain. I recommend giving PS by itself to children with ADHD or in combination with DHA or the herb ginkgo biloba (which has excellent research supporting its benefit on memory and concentration). PS appears to help improve concentration and have a calming effect on hyperactive kids. Most PS supplements are soy-based. Typical dosage for a 12-year-old would be 200 to 400 milligrams daily. Consult your naturopathic physician or nutritionist for specific dosage requirements for your child based on his age, size and weight. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS Heavy Metals Finally, numerous studies have found a strong relationship between childhood learning disabilities and body storage of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, copper and manganese). Heavy metals are stored in the bones and fatty tissues of the body, like the liver and the kidneys, and high levels in very young children can hinder proper development of the brain and central nervous system. Lead is the primary culprit of heavy metal toxicity in young children, especially among toddlers living in old houses where they eat the lead paint that chips off of walls and windowsills. A child who is suffering from mild lead or heavy metal poisoning may not exhibit any specific symptoms, so a hair analysis is the best screening test for heavy metal toxicity and mineral imbalances. What Can You Do? Adding calcium and magnesium supplements to your child's diet is one way to counter potential lead poisoning (in the body, lead competes with calcium. A child exposed to high levels of lead paint dust will absorb the lead and excrete the calicium). January 1999 Dr. Angela Stengler is a certified naturopathic physician based in Oceanside, California. Women's and children's health are the focus of the practice run by her and her husband, Dr. Mark Stengler. In addition to maintaining her medical practice, Dr. Stengler hosts a weekly radio show on natural medicine, and she is the author of several books on the benefits of alternative medicine, which you can find at her Web site, The Natural Physician.

Lead in the blood may be linked to ADHD

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif MSU researchers link low lead exposure to ADHD Contact: Joel Nigg, Psychology: (517) 353-5193, nigg@msu.edu; Andy Henion, University Relations: (517) 355-3294, cell (517) 281-6949, henion@msu.edu Nov. 27, 2007 EAST LANSING, Mich. — Very low levels of lead in the blood – previously believed to be safe – could be contributing to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a Michigan State University study of 150 children in the Lansing area. The research findings support a growing body of national evidence suggesting there is no safe level of lead in the blood, said Joel Nigg, MSU professor of psychology and study director. Other studies show a link between low-level lead exposure and lower IQ. Nigg said the mounting research spotlights the need for potentially tougher regulations on items that contain lead and other harmful elements that can get into the food supply or local environment of children – from cosmetics to cleaning supplies to electronic goods. Millions of Chinese-made toys have been recalled in the past year due to lead paint. “We’ve got to re-examine the rules by which we release new materials into children’s environments, the way other countries like Canada and Sweden have begun to do,” Nigg said. His group’s latest research will appear in the Feb. 15 issue of Biological Psychiatry and is currently in the journal’s online edition. For more information, see: www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/bps/article/PIIS0006322307006750/abstract. According to the study, which examined both children with and without ADHD, all 150 children had at least some lead in their blood, although none had levels higher than the 10 micrograms per deciliter level currently considered unsafe by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children with ADHD had higher levels of lead in the blood than those without the disorder, according to the study, which was conducted with help from the Michigan Department of Community Health. The neurotoxic effects of lead in the blood can interfere with stages of brain growth, such as synapse formation – a critical element in the development of appropriate self-regulatory control, according to Nigg’s 2006 book, “What Causes ADHD?” Children 2 and younger are especially vulnerable, he said. While the “safe” level for lead in the blood was lowered from 25 mcg/dl to 10 mcg/ld in 1991, some scientists are now calling for the level to be dropped to 5 mcg/dl or even lower. Nigg’s study is the first to examine such low blood levels in children diagnosed with ADHD under formal clinical criteria. Earlier studies used out-of-date criteria or children with much higher levels of blood lead. The average blood lead level of children with ADHD in the MSU study was less than 1.3 mcg/dl. Bruce Lanphear is a physician and professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center who also researches the effects of lead exposure in children. Lanphear, who was not involved in the MSU research, said, “This study, which is the first to examine the association of ADHD using strict diagnostic criteria, provides convincing evidence that low-level lead exposure is a risk factor of ADHD in children. Taken together with other research, this study provides sufficient evidence to increase our efforts to further reduce allowable levels in air, house dust, and water and consumer products.” While the study didn’t examine where the lead exposure originated, Nigg speculates it came from lead dust in old houses and schools. Although lead paint was banned in 1978, many older housing units still contain some level of lead. “No one can completely eliminate all dust and lead from those houses,” Nigg said. “If you’re a parent of an infant or toddler in an older home who is worried about this, your best advice is to become scrupulous about sweeping up dust and dirt, filter tap water, remove chipped paint and monitor what your children put in their mouths.” Aging lead water pipes are also a potential source, according to the CDC. The Lansing Board of Water and Light is in the process of replacing thousands of lead water pipes in the city of Lansing. Many other U.S. cities also have replaced lead water pipes that were installed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The MSU study will continue for at least two more years and Nigg said he wants to triple the number of participants. To volunteer, parents of children ages 8-16 years with or without ADHD can call (517) 432-4894. Families receive a small payment and free screening for ADHD and learning problems. The study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the MSU Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. ### Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.

Melatonin protects against lead exposure?

Abstract "The nervous system is the primary target for low-levels of lead (Pb) exposure and the developing brain appears to be especially vulnerable to Pb neurotoxicity. Chronic low-level Pb exposure causes growth retardation and intellectual impairment. In the present study the protective effect of melatonin during exposure to low-levels of Pb in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell cultures was assessed. The cells were exposed to Pb (0.01 to 10 M) for 48 h. Pb inhibited the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells significantly in a concentration-dependent manner. A 50% inhibition (IC50) of cell proliferation was observed at about 5 M Pb. Pb decreased (16% to 62%) the levels of total cellular glutathione (GSH) in a concentration (0.1 to 10 M)- dependent manner. Exposure of cells to Pb (5 M) for 48 h resulted in an eightfold increase in caspase-3 activity and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level. Pretreatment with melatonin (10 M) blocked the effects of Pb on GSH content and caspase-3 activity, and showed significant improvement in reducing the level of PGE2. The results suggest that some of the neurotoxic effects of Pb may be partly mediated by apoptosis and pretreatment with melatonin can prevent these effects. The present study asserts the neuroprotective effect of melatonin in conditions of Pb-induced toxicity in neuroblastoma cell cultures." Published in: International Journal of Toxicology, Volume 25, Issue 6 September 2006 , pages 459 - 464

Lead inhibits the formation of GABA and increases the concentration of Glutamate/glutamine in the synapse.

Pubmed Laboratory of Pathobiochemistry of the Central Nervous System, Department of Neurochemistry, Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland. lidkas@cmdik.pan.pl

Glutamine (Gln), glutamate (Glu) and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) are essential amino acids for brain metabolism and function. Astrocytic-derived glutamine is the precursor of the two most important neurotransmitters: glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, and GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. In addition to their roles in neurotransmission these neurotransmitters act as alternative metabolic substrates that enable metabolic coupling between astrocytes and neurons. The relationships between Gln, Glu and GABA were studied under lead (Pb) toxicity conditions using synaptosomal fractions obtained from adult rat brains to investigate the cause of Pb neurotoxicity-induced seizures. We have found that diminished transport of [(14)C]GABA occurs after Pb treatment. Both uptake and depolarization-evoked release decrease by 40% and 30%, respectively, relative to controls. Lower expression of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), the GABA synthesizing enzyme, is also observed. In contrast to impaired synaptosomal GABA function, the GABA transporter GAT-1 protein is overexpressed (possibly as a compensative mechanism).

Furthermore, similar decreases in synaptosomal uptake of radioactive glutamine and glutamate are observed. However, the K(+)-evoked release of Glu increases by 20% over control values and the quantity of neuronal EAAC1 transporter for glutamate reaches remarkably higher levels after Pb treatment. In addition, Pb induces decreased activity of phosphate-activated glutaminase (PAG), which plays a role in glutamate metabolism. Most noteworthy is that the overexpression and reversed action of the EAAC1 transporter may be the cause of the elevated extracellular glutamate levels. In addition to the impairment of synaptosomal processes of glutamatergic and GABAergic transport, the results indicate perturbed relationships between Gln, Glu and GABA that may be the cause of altered neuronal-astrocytic interactions under conditions of Pb neurotoxicity.

Bad brain chemistry triggers violence

Behavior - vitamin and nutrient therapy Acts of violence in the workplace or schools often are not as random as they appear to outsiders. Parents of violent children have been telling doctors and educators for years that their kids were born with unique, disruptive, angry, defiant personalities. William J. Walsh, a senior scientist at Health Research Institute and Pfeifer Treatment Center, Naperville, Ill., backs them after 25 years of research. A study of 24 pairs of brothers, one average and one violent, was conducted by Walsh. The results, replicated in three blind, controlled experiments, showed two distinctive patterns in the brain chemistry of violent individuals not found in their siblings. The first included an elevated copper/zinc ratio; depressed sodium, potassium, and manganese; and abnormal calcium, magnesium, and blood histamines. The other revealed very depressed copper; very elevated sodium and potassium; elevated blood histamines, kryptopyrroles, lead cadmium, iron, calcium, and magnesium; and depressed zinc and manganese. How did this translate to behavior? Those having Type 1 levels exhibited Jekyll-Hyde behavior with episodic violence, poor stress control, and genuine remorse, often accompanied by acne, allergies, and academic underachievement. Type 2s were assaultive without remorse; pathological liars who had a fascination with fire; cruel to people and animals; and often had sleep disorders. The researchers later identified two additional distinctive, less-violent behavior types: nonassaultive delinquents who were impulsive, irritable, underweight underachievers in school, and nonassaultive individuals who had sugar craving, drowsiness, and depression. "The brain is a chemical factory that produces neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and other brain chemicals 24 hours a day. The only raw materials for these syntheses are nutrients: amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc.," Walsh notes. "Most neurotransmitter imbalances appear genetic in nature and involve abnormal metabolism, absorption, and/or storage of food nutrients by the body. However, an individual's biochemistry may change at any time after birth as a result of food allergies, puberty, aging, stress, or trauma. The Pfeiffer Center's treatment consists of nutrient therapy--utilizing vitamins and minerals along with dietary adjustments--to correct brain chemistry imbalances. "Nutrient therapy can be very potent and, unlike most psychiatric medications, does not involve side effects since no molecules foreign to the body are used," he explains. Some violent offenders are psychiatric patients who have stopped taking medications due to the debilitating side effects. Pfeiffer doctors keep patients on prescription medications while balancing brain chemistry. In some cases, they work with the patient's physician in the effort to eliminate or gradually reduce medications and minimize side effects. COPYRIGHT 2002 Society for the Advancement of Education COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group