Adhd and Supplements

It is startling to know that 3 to 7 percent of childrenbetter scores in reading, spelling, mathematics and
in the US suffer from ADHD or Attention Deficitother skills. No such improvements were seen in
Hyperactivity Disorder. This means it affects over 2children given the placebo. Thus Omega 3 rich
million children in America, that is, one in every classsupplements such as fish oil could be a solution to
of 25 would have ADHD. This condition is usuallyhelp children with ADHD. Some researchers feel
diagnosed in the pre-school and early school years.babies who are breast-fed have a lower chance of
Children with these symptoms are unusually fidgetydeveloping ADHD later because it is rich in Omega 3.
and restless. They could even have problems payingChildren with ADHD usually suffer from food allergies.
attention in school, waiting in lines or taking turns.They could be losing vital vitamins, iron and even zinc
Some children could be very aggressive. ADHD isbecause of their allergy to dairy products, wheat,
usually diagnosed more in boys that girls, but thatcorn, yeast, soy, citrus, eggs, chocolate, peanuts and
could be because girls tend to be quieter and lessartificial colors and preservatives. It has been seen
aggressive than boys. In girls it could manifest itselfthat ADHD children lose zinc when exposed to a
as talkativeness rather than aggression.food dye. In a study that eliminated these allergens in
The U.S. Surgeon General has defined ADHD as athe diet of some children, the majority of the children
metabolic form of encephalopathy. The diseaseshowed lower levels of hyperactivity. Once these
weakens the release and homeostasis of neurologicalwere added back to diet, the problems associated
chemicals, reducing the function of the limbic system.with ADHD once again returned.
Other relevant research however points out thatResearch has also shown that iron levels are low in
some part of the brain could be involved. These arechildren suffering from ADHD. The children's serum
the frontal lobes, their connections to the basalferritin levels were measured to determine their iron
ganglia, the central aspects of the cerebellum and thestatus. It was seen that one-third of the ADHD
middle or medial aspect of the frontal lobe.children had a very low range of iron levels. It was
Four types of ADHD types have been recognized.noticed that the lower the iron levels, the higher
These are the Predominantly Inattentive,were the severity of the ADHD symptoms. The
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combinedresearchers concluded that low iron stores might
Type of ADHD (hyperactive-impulsive andexplain some ADHD cases. Iron supplements could be
inattentive) and ADHD Not Otherwise Specified. As agiven but proper testing is required before doing so,
person gets older, the symptoms of ADHD couldbecause excess iron stored in the body can cause
reduce, but many children diagnosed with ADHDseveral other problems.
retain this disorder into adulthood too. It is thenSupplements of zinc and zinc sulpahate have proved
known as Adult Attention-Deficit Disorder or AADD.successful in the treatment of ADHD in small trials -
In adults, it manifests itself in the need to bemore results are awaited. In the mean time, a good
physically busy all time, excessive talking, interruptingidea would be to remove additives from the diet
others, risk taking, speaking out without regard toalong with all foods that the child could be allergic to.
the consequences and even daydreaming.This could improve the absorption of natural zinc
The research into the causes of ADHD has thrownpresent in foods.
up a number of issues. Primarily it seems that bothVitamin C could also be supplemented in the
genetic and environmental factors play a role intreatment of ADHD, because sometimes it is not
ADHD. Significantly, research has shown that manyeasily absorbed from natural foods. However, once
critical food deficiencies could cause the problem.again it might be good idea to remove additives and
These could be as varied as deficiency of essentialallergy-causing foods from the diet. This would result
Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins like Vitaminin better Vitamin C absorption.
C, iron and even zinc. This suggests a role forMost ADHD children are on some prescribed drug or
suppmentation in the treatment of ADHDthe other. Should drug interactions with dietary
Omega 3 deficiency may lead to behavioral problemssupplements be a concern? New research indicates
that are linked with ADHD. Some ADHD childrenthat more often than not, mixing doesn't produce
show other symptoms connected with Omega 3side effects that are serious enough to warrant
deficiency, such as dry skin and hair, thirst and evenconcern.
frequent urination. Trials in supplementing Omega 3 inMost research indicates that a balanced diet rich in
children with ADHD revealed some surprising results.omega 3, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, free
Over a period of time, fish oil supplements werefrom toxins, would be beneficial in the treatment of
given to a group of children and a placebo to anotherADHD in children. What goes in seems to be so
set. The children with fish oil supplements showedimportant to the proper functioning of the body and
remarkable improvements in attentiveness and othermind.
attributes. Academic results were much better with