Answer: your question is very important and very up-to-date, given that this disorder is one of the most important diagnosed behavioral disorders in children today. In order to answer specific questions related to nutritional alternatives to medication, it is important to know more about ADHD.
It is estimated that about three to about 6% of Western children suffer from this condition, and this increases to around 15% in certain urban areas. An increasing number of children now get this diagnosis and they are prescribed certain stimulant medications such as as a treatment.
These often prescribed drugs are relatively safe and efficient, but they may also have undesirable side effects that only increase with higher doses. Because they also pose a substantial danger in the area of the abuse of medicines in young people, it is of critical importance that the diagnosis is correct.
This disorder is ranked among the mental disorders including children and also some adults show a clear lack of attention for performing tasks, the so-called attention disorder, and also the inability to control certain impulses, this in combination with increasing physical activity, the so-called hyperactivity.
This is something typical for people in a similar phase of development. I particularly emphasize these two points because almost all children have certain periods during their lives in which there are problems related to attention, periods of impulsive behavior and sometimes an incredible level of energy.
All these phases are not in themselves worrying and are part of normal development.
For all these reasons, my first recommendation is to determine whether the person in question has had a thorough evaluation in terms of her development by a pediatrician or a specialist in these specific matters.
It is important that someone carries out this research and also has documented the findings correctly. Children should be observed for a period of at least six months and subsequently re-evaluated before proceeding with drug treatment.
This diagnosis can not therefore be performed on the basis of a single study. During the course of these examinations, the family can take a number of steps that can help the child not to take any medication in the end. The ADHD disorder actually consists of a spectrum of disorders.
In a study conducted in the year 2003 ( source ), scientists have drawn up a list of eight general categories of possible contributions to this disorder.
These consist of:
- allergies to food and added substances
- toxic reactions to the environment
- nutritional deficiencies in protein or an excess of simple sugars
- disorders in the balance of minerals
- deviations in the components of cell membranes including essential fatty acids and related substances
- shortages regarding certain amino acids
- shortages in the area of thyroids
- a vitamin B deficiency.
- Children with ADHD have to contend with changes in the functions of the brain that can occur due to abnormalities in the membranes of the cells, the blood flow, and the level of certain signals a number of chemicals that we know as neurotransmitters.
A number of stimulant drugs promote the release of these chemicals into the tissues of the brain.
Supplements with additional nutrients form a much broader and more secure approach to the problem. The growing brain requires an enormous amount of nutrients to support its structure and function.
Supplements can provide certain components that are used in cell membranes in the brain and as building blocks or for neurotransmitter production. Adding supplements with nutrients and stimulating the elimination of toxic substances can provide clear improvements in the behavior and performance of children who suffer from these disorders.
Parents should work on the health of their children by appealing to professionals to ensure that any supplement or drug administered is safe and given an effective dose.
Many conventional doctors do not ask specific questions about diet or supplements, and it is therefore very important to let them know that there are also possibilities in this area. The supplements listed below have already yielded promising results in the treatment of children suffering from the ADHD disorder.
Vitamins and minerals
Supplements with multivitamins will generally help children to achieve better results at school. A particular study in this context showed that a supplement with multivitamins and minerals can help to reduce the anti-social behavior in healthy children.
These results suggest that vitamins and minerals can provide support for children suffering from ADHD. High doses of vitamin A should be avoided because the excessive accumulation of these fat-soluble vitamins can be dangerous.
If a child is known to be deficient in vitamin B, then a supplement with these vitamins can be of use. Vitamin B6 is one of those types of the vitamin that is essential for the production of many neurotransmitters that are important for the brain's health and function, and this with possible beneficial side effects in the fight against ADHD.
According to a certain study, supplements with vitamin B6 can be as effective as with increasing hyperactivity, and the effect of this vitamin persists even after stopping a supplement.
The disorder ADHD is also sometimes associated with a shortage of iron. Meanwhile, scientific evidence is based on a number of studies that suggest that supplements with iron can counteract the severity of the symptoms.
Magnesium deficiency is also observed in many children who suffer from this condition. A marked reduction in hyperactivity and undesirable behavior was also observed in children who were also given supplements with magnesium in their diet.
Some individuals who suffer from ADHD also have a low level of zinc, and studies have shown that supplements with this substance have a beneficial effect on their behavior. Zinc also has the property that it promotes the action of medicines such as .
The essential fatty acids
Unsaturated fatty acids, such as the essential omega 3 fatty acids, can play an important and useful role in learning how to manage ADHD.
These are critical components of cell membranes and of the function of the brain, such as the biochemical messengers that help nerves and other cells to communicate. Children who suffer from ADHD seem to break down the essential fatty acids faster than other children, and almost always have a much lower blood level in most important institutions.
Unfortunately, most children do have an excess of omega six fatty acids in daily diet, but suffer from a serious shortage of the more beneficial omega 3 fatty acids.
In two studies ( source ) it was established that supplements with essential omega 3 fatty acids had a beneficial effect on the behavioral problems of children with ADHD, according to the parents, and attention problems, as was established by the teachers.
It was also discovered that these essential omega 3 fatty acids improve the effect of zinc, as was shown by a study that was carried out on individuals who suffered from attention loss and movement problems.
Because it can be difficult to achieve an optimal level of essential fatty acids, especially the useful omega 3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, by addressing only nutritional sources, your granddaughter may have the most effect from supplements with products that are provided with a sufficiently high amount of omega 3 fatty acids.
Phosphate
This is an important component of cell membranes and it plays a role in signaling the nervous system.
We now know that this substance helps to improve memory and concentration in adults, and a certain report shows that the substance can also be useful for improving attention in children with ADHD.
In a small controlled study ( source ) it was shown that this specific substance, which transforms into cell membranes, is able to reduce hyperactivity. Do not use this medicine, however, and check with the doctor first because the substance can have certain side effects when given in high doses.
Amino acids
Most neurotransmitters from the brain are made from amino acids, which are in fact structures of proteins that are found in the blood.
Different levels of a number of different amino acids are often found in the blood of both adults and children who suffer from ADHD.
In this context, a number of studies were conducted showing that supplements with these diseased amino acids produced a marked improvement in attention in adults, but it should be said immediately that these results could only be seen in the short term.
According to a specific study ( source ), a specific amino acid that we find in green tea is significantly more efficient than the classic, often prescribed drugs that serve to promote relaxation.
A number of antioxidants based on plants also promise a lot of potential in the fight against ADHD. Some of these extracts provide a clear improvement in blood flow to the brain and may also stimulate the cognitive capacities of the child.
It is true that detailed and controlled studies have not yet been conducted on the use of this substance in children with ADHD.
Meanwhile, a number of individual reports have been put forward in Europe ( source ) suggesting that an extract of this plant, which clearly contains numerous antioxidants and cell-protective properties, improves cognitive function in children with ADHD.
An extract of pomegranate contains many of the same ingredients, and of these fruits we know meanwhile that it contributes to an improvement of memory and cognition in people who suffer from old age, a determination that is hopeful and from which some scientists think they may deduce that it may also be of use in the treatment of ADHD.
Sleep disorders are common in children who suffer from ADHD, especially in those children who are prescribed certain stimulant medications.
, essentially an antioxidant hormone produced in the human thyroid, has certain specific powerful effects in terms of the cycle of sleep and waking, sleep variation and many other biological rhythms.
In combination with a specific program to do sleep training, including careful attention to the right bedtime, the child's place of sleep and certain sleep rituals, can help to fight insomnia in children with ADHD to whom specific stimulant medication is prescribed. .
No comments:
Post a Comment