ATTENTION DEFICIT
AND
HYPERACTIVITY DISORDERS
by Lawrence Wilson, MD
© 2008, The Center For Development
Today one out
of every five children is diagnosed with a behavior or learning disorder. It is often a nightmarish experience for
both parents and children. Also,
the problem does not necessarily end when the children grow up. It is renamed delinquency. Medication, psychotherapy, special
education, and more prisons and police may help control the situation. But none of these methods address
causes.
In
my experience, ADD and ADHD are not a single disorder, but rather are symptoms
with many possible causes. The
causes can be divided into those from outside a person, and those from within. Outside influences include factors such
as the family, home and school environments.
Internal
causes include structural, biochemical, congenital, genetic or other bodily
imbalances. Factors such as
nutrition and brain chemistry are often overlooked. Yet the six major imbalances apply very much to ADHD
children. In addition to vital
nutrient deficiencies, toxic metal excesses, hypoglycemia, chronic yeast
infection, central nervous system allergies, this article discusses the effects
of stimulants in the diet, congenital imbalances, the effects of medications,
and a faster-than-normal metabolic rate.
MINERAL AND VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES
Calcium,
magnesium and zinc are deficient
on the tissue mineral analyses of many ADHD children. Supplementation with these minerals alone may change a
little monster into a sweet child.
I have heard this comment from so many parents that I am no longer
surprised. Recently, a mother
called to say her daughter had transformed within a month from a nasty, mean
4-year-old into a sweet child. She
said it was like getting to know a different child.
Calcium
and magnesium help relax the muscles and have a calming effect on the nervous
system. Magnesium deficiency is
associated with belligerence and irritability. Many ADHD children are tired, because they have trouble
going to sleep or staying asleep.
This only adds to their difficulties. Calcium and magnesium also function as psychological buffer
elements. This means they protect
one from the effects of stress.
When they are deficient, one is more reactive, and often has a harder
time being around others and maintaining a focus of attention.
The
high salt content of many fast foods such as chips and french fries may reduce
magnesium levels, worsening magnesium deficiency.
Zinc
functions as a mood stabilizer.
Some researchers actually consider it a calming neurotransmitter in its
own right. In the absence of
adequate zinc, copper and cadmium accumulate in the brain and other
organs. Unfortunately, many diets
are low in zinc, and many children today are born low in zinc due to their
mother's diets. According to Carl
Pfeiffer, MD, PhD, author of Mental and Elemental Nutrients, the entire
American population is borderline zinc deficient. Other trace elements such as manganese and chromium also
play a critical role in behavior because they influence glucose tolerance.
Lithium is known to reduce manic episodes in
manic-depressive or bi-polar disorder.
Some physicians have noted that serum or hair lithium levels are low in
most children with ADD and ADHD.
Supplementing lithium in the form of lithium orotate has proven helpful
for some children.
Vitamin
nutrition is no less important.
Early in this century, a deficiencies of the B vitamins was found to be
associated with mental confusion, fatigue and even psychosis. In 1950, Abram Hoffer, MD, a Canadian
psychiatrist, discovered that some people need much larger doses of certain
vitamins due to subtle defects in body chemistry. This approach is called orthomolecular medicine. It means giving the amounts of a
nutrient that each person needs, rather than simply giving the RDA of a
nutrient.
Supplementation
with choline and inositol has been found helpful for hyperactive
and ADHD children. Amino acids
such as L-taurine and L-tryptophan often also have a calming effect on some
children. Phosphatidyl serine has
also been found helpful for some children.
TOXIC METALS
The
effects of toxic metals on children's behavior
have been known for years. In May
l987, The Lancet reported that in a study of 800 English school children, the
more lead in the children's blood, the slower their learning
rate. Researchers also found that there
was no safe level of lead. Excess
lead is associated with mental retardation and hyperactivity.
Mercury toxicity is
known to affect personality and behavior.
The "mad hatters" in Alice in Wonderland were a real
phenomenon 100 years ago, when mercury was used in the hat industry. Vaccinations are still preserved with
thimerisol, a mercury-containing compound. This is an abomination of the worst kind.
A
study reported in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine found no safe level
of mercury. Yet
millions of silver-mercury fillings are still placed in Americans' mouths each
year, many in children. Mercury
amalgam fillings are treated as toxic waste when they are removed by
dentists. With modern dental
materials, there is no excuse for placing a potent neurotoxin in anyone's mouth!
Cadmium. In a study of naval recruits, those
with high cadmium had the most behavior problems. When tissue mineral analysis is
performed on criminals, many have elevated levels of cadmium and lead. This is reported in the book Diet,
Crime and Delinquency by Alexander Schauss, PhD. Sources of cadmium exposure in children include tap water,
refined foods and cigarette smoke.
Many children are born with cadmium toxicity passed on from their
mothers.
Aluminum toxicity may also impair some
cognitive abilities in children, in the author's experience. Children are born with it or acquire it
from drinking out of aluminum soda cans, or aluminum cookware, or aluminum
added to tap water, table salt and other products.
Copper. Analytical Research Laboratories in
Phoenix, Arizona has performed mineral analyses on over 30,000 children. In addition to the toxic metals above, copper imbalance is
commonly found in the hair analyses of ADHD children. The copper is often passed through the placenta to the
children at birth. Copper
interferes with zinc metabolism, affects thyroid activity, and enhances the
biogenic amines. These are
neurotransmitters that stimulate brain activity. Copper is also an important substance to control yeast
overgrowth within the body.
Dr.
Carl Pfeiffer, MD, PhD and Dr. Paul Eck have documented the effects of excess
copper. They include
hyperactivity, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and anti-social
behavior. Copper stimulates the
old brain or diencephalon. This is
sometimes called the animal brain, as compared to the cortex or new brain. The old brain is responsible for our
'animal' responses, while the new brain modifies these responses. The latter is responsible for complex
thought and the higher emotions.
Those with copper imbalance may revert back toward primitive animal
responses to their environment.
After
reviewing 400 studies, The U.S. EPA concluded that hair tissue mineral analysis
is a reliable way to detect toxic metal excess. However, one must remember the test only measures metals in
the hair, not the total body load.
It may take several months of corrective therapy before the metals begin
to be revealed as they are eliminated through the hair.
HYPOGLYCEMIA AND BEHAVIOR
Hypoglycemia in children is quite common. Diets high in sugar and carbohydrates,
often combined with caffeinated beverages, can cause a child to experience a
blood-sugar roller coaster every single day.
Although
hypoglycemia means low blood sugar, the symptoms arise from low sugar in the cells. For this reason hypoglycemia is
not always identifiable on a glucose tolerance test unless insulin levels are
measured along with glucose levels.
Eating
sugar may have other negative effects, such as altering calcium and phosphorus
levels, and fueling the overgrowth of yeast in the intestines of some
children. Sugar enters the blood
stream very rapidly. This speeds
up the metabolic rate, which is already excessive in many children with
ADHD. Sugar is also a refined food
that can contribute to the depletion of the minerals and B-complex vitamins
needed to process it.
Some
parents feed their children sugar-laden foods out of ignorance or
laziness. Others, however, think
they are doing the right thing by feeding their children natural, unsweetened
apple juice and lots of fruit.
They feel that natural sugar is better than sucrose or fructose in
processed food. The only advantage
of the natural food sugars is that they come with some minerals and
vitamins. However, the sugar is
the same. It will cause problems
for any child who is sensitive to it.
Parents are often amazed at the improvement in behavior when all sugars
(simple carbohydrates) are removed from the diet.
THE YEAST CONNECTION
Chronic yeast overgrowth can cause many symptoms in
susceptible children, including behavioral changes. A combination of factors lead to the overgrowth of the
common yeast, candida albicans, in many children. Among them are diets high in sugar and carbohydrates,
repeated use of antibiotics that kill the normal intestinal flora and may
impair the immune system, steroid hormone therapy and copper imbalance. Even in those children who have not had
repeated doses of antibiotics, residues of the same drugs may be ingested today
in commercial meats and dairy products.
Residues of steroid hormones fed to farm animals may also enhance the
yeast problem. A recent report
suggests these medications may even find their way into our drinking water
(Science News, March 21, 1998).
Alcohol
and acetaldehyde produced by yeast organisms are toxic to the brain. They can lead to "brain fog"
and hyperactive behavior. It is
also possible to have allergic reactions to the yeast organisms or to its
metabolic products.
A
combination of yeast overgrowth and hypoglycemia may cause a physical addiction
to sugar or sugary foods. This can
affect childhood behavior, and lead to more serious conditions such as
alcoholism in the teenage years and adulthood. An excellent book on this topic is The Hidden Addiction, by J.K.
Phelps, MD and A. Nourse, MD.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM ALLERGIES
Reactions
to foods, chemicals, dusts, molds or other substances can cause changes in
brain chemistry and behavior. They
may cause histamine release in the brain, or affect it in other subtle ways.
Benjamin
Feingold, MD, a San Francisco allergist, wrote Is Your Child Hyperactive? some
twenty-five years ago. He found that
by eliminating sugar, additives and preservatives from hyperactive children's
diets, half the children reverted to normal behavior.
He
pioneered the idea that some children have allergic reactions to common food colorings
and additives that affect their behavior.
His research has been greatly expanded upon and reported in Is This
Your Child's World, by Doris Rapp, MD. Today, children are exposed to a wide variety of toxic
chemicals in their food, water, home and school environments. Matters have been made much worse by
the use of carpeting in schools,
buildings with no openable windows and the increase in toxic building materials
and cleaning products. In spite of
much clinical research, some medical groups still deny the very existence of
these allergies or sensitivities.
STIMULANTS IN THE DIET
Children
have very sensitive nervous systems.
Yet many children daily consume huge doses of stimulating caffeinated
soft drinks. The author once gave
a talk at a school. A 12-year old
announced he was taking Ritalin as he sipped a bottle of Dr. Pepper, one the
most caffeine-rich drinks available.
The soft drinks may also contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar, as well as
phosphoric acid, a compound that interferes with the absorption of calcium,
magnesium and zinc. These are
often exactly the minerals these children need the most.
The
heavy content of salt and MSG in many fast foods and
spicy food may also act as stimulants that affect the delicate nervous system
of some children.
BORN SICK
Tissue
mineral analysis indicates that many children are born today with excessive
levels of toxic metals, and deficiencies of vital nutrients such as zinc and
manganese. Toxicology books
confirm that lead, cadmium, copper, and other toxic metals pass through the
placenta from mother to child.
Children are described as "sinks" for these metals.
Animal
studies reveal that the results of poor diets or ingested toxins often don't
show up immediately. It may take
several generations before problems start appearing. The situation in America today is that several generations
have lived on devitalized food and been exposed to many chemicals and low-dose
radiation. The effects are showing
up in this generation of children.
MEDICATION AND VACCINES
Many
children suffer from antibiotic overkill, sometimes beginning the day they are
born. These damage the normal
intestinal flora and may weaken the immune system. The effect may persist long after the antibiotic
therapy. A combination of
antibiotic usage, copper imbalance, antibiotic residues in meat, and a
high-sugar diet forms the perfect environment for candida albicans overgrowth.
Antibiotic
overuse also contributes to resistant microorganisms and chronic
infections. Chronic infections can
contribute to fatigue, irritability and poor concentration. These cause children to miss school,
affecting school performance.
Parents often remark their child no longer gets sick so often when they
are following a corrective nutrition program. An excellent book on this subject is Beyond Antibiotics, by M.
Schmidt, DC, L. Smith, MD and K. Sehnert, MD.
There
is research that vaccination and other medications may also affect children's
behavior. For example, there has a
dramatic rise in autism, a condition somewhat related to ADHD. Is there a connection with the fact
that the average child in America now receives some 28 vaccines, when 50 years
ago they received perhaps 8? Many
researchers believe there is a connection, and more evidence is surfacing to
support it. See the article on vaccination and the Vaccination
Horror Story for more information about this important topic.
FAST METABOLISM AND ADD
Many
ADHD children are fast oxidizers or fast metabolizers. On a hair tissue mineral analysis, this
is reflected in low levels of calcium and magnesium and elevated levels of
sodium and potassium. This mineral
pattern is associated with excessive activity of the thyroid and adrenal glands. While the pattern is common in children,
it is often pronounced in ADHD children.
A fast metabolic rate contributes to a short attention span,
hyperirritability, and often aggressiveness and belligerence.
Fast
oxidizers are also allergy-prone.
Low calcium and magnesium may enhance cell permeability, which permits
foreign proteins to pass into the blood causing allergic reactions. Fast oxidizers are also prone to
hypoglycemia, as they burn their food more rapidly than normal.
These
children are made worse by sugar and all sweets, which further speed up their
metabolism. This includes fruit
and fruit juices. They benefit
from good-quality fats and oils, which have a slowing effect on their
metabolism.
Many
parents are afraid to give their children fats for fear of obesity or raising
cholesterol. In fact, children
need good-quality fat, an essential nutrient for the development of their
nervous system. Natural nut
butters, avocado, flaxseed oil, butter, cheese, olive oil, eggs, hormone-free
meats, and other high-quality fats and oils are very beneficial for these
children. They do not cause
increased cholesterol or obesity in most children provided the diet is
healthful and appropriate.
Stress
further increases the oxidation rate.
Stress can take the form of too much television, too much activity, or
even too many children in a classroom.
Fast oxidizers easily become 'wound up' and need peace and quiet to
function best. Chronic
overstimulation in these children leads to its opposite, a 'burnout' condition
which is becoming more common in children. Correcting fast oxidation is another key to ADHD that is
routinely overlooked, but fairly simple and inexpensive to correct.
IMPROVED GRADES WITHOUT SUGAR
Between
1979 and 1983, the New York City school system removed the sugar, additives and
preservatives from its school lunch program. This change alone produced a 15% increase in performance on
standardized tests. School
performance in the New York City School System moved from below national
average to above national average.
This study was well-controlled, and involved 800,000 children. Other reasons for the outcome were
carefully ruled out. (see Schoenthaler, S. International Journal of Biosocial
Research 8/2:185-195, 1986).
WHAT TO DO?
Prevention
must start now! Mothers, and potential mothers, begin
NOW to eat well, quit smoking and, if you feel the need, have your body
chemistry checked. Do this before becoming
pregnant, because it takes time to bring body chemistry into balance. The father's role in prevention is not
as clear, although genetic problems are of course passed on from both parents.
If
you have a child with a learning or behavior disorder, simple
measures can make a big difference:
* Feed
your child a variety of fresh, organically grown, minimally processed
foods. Take the time to prepare
and eat regular, sit-down meals.
* Keep
your child away from sugar in all foods, including many breakfast cereals and
snack foods. Even unsweetened
fruit juices and fruit can cause problems in sensitive children.
* Avoid
giving children soda pop and other 'junk foods', even if they contain no sugar
and no caffeine. These foods
contain little nutritive value and can contribute to deficiencies. You are not depriving your child. Explain to the child why. Many children will understand that they
feel better off the junk food.
* Don't
overfeed on starches. They can
worsen blood sugar imbalances and yeast problems in some children. Good quality fats and oils can be very
beneficial. Many children need the
fats and oils in their diet.
* Many
children are sensitive to food additives.
Try eliminating additives, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors,
and Nutrasweet. You may notice an
improvement in behavior.
* Most
children are sensitive to particular foods. Keep children away from wheat and cow’s milk dairy for
starters. Keep a journal for two
weeks what your child eats, and his behavior afterwards. Food allergy testing may also be
helpful.
* A
trial with an anti-candida medication and diet can sometimes work wonders.
* There
is often much that can be done to improve behavior and learning problems
through an individualized scientific diet and supplement program.
ENVIRONMENTAL CORRECTION
Some
ADHD children (and adults) are highly sensitive to toxic chemicals in their
environment, dust and molds in carpets and heating ducts, flickering
fluorescent lights, and lack of fresh air in closed school buildings or homes. These and other environmental
considerations may play an important role in some cases of ADHD.
ADHD
children need a structured and friendly environment. Daily activities should be structured. This does not mean to be rigid, but
simply to encourage and set up routines and schedules that the child can follow
and live and play within. This
will be found to be most helpful.
Some schools encourage structure and routine, while others do not.
ADHD
children often do best in small classes, with plenty of personal
attention. Many are very bright
and perceptive, and may become bored in school environments that are
inappropriate for them. ADHD
children also need plenty of rest and sleep. Naps and quiet times are excellent.
Avoid
getting these children wound up, especially in the evening. Minimize violent films, video and
computer games, as much as possible.
Encourage quiet activities, play quiet music in the home, and a relaxed
home environment. Do not push
these children to perform, as that will generally make them more anxious.
OTHER NATURAL THERAPIES
Chiropractic
may benefit a child whose spine is out of alignment. This is easy to check, and the younger the better before
patterns become deeply set.
Craniosacral work is another excellent healing modality.
There
are many other holistic modalities that may be helpful, from aromatherapy to
light, color and sound therapies.
It is fine to experiment.
WHAT ABOUT RITALIN?
Methylphenidate
hydrochloride (Ritalin) is a central nervous stimulant given to many ADHD
children. The Physicians Desk
Reference states there are no long-term studies of its safety and
effectiveness. The drug carries a
special warning of drug dependency and psychotic episodes. In addition, "careful supervision
is required during drug withdrawal, since severe depression as well as the
effects of chronic overactivity can be unmasked."
In
a review of the drug at the University of Cincinnati Medical School, 111 side
effects were reported, including suicide on withdrawal. The drug suppresses growth, makes some
children more prone to seizures, causes visual disturbances, nervousness,
insomnia, anorexia nervosa and toxic psychosis. One study showed that children treated with such stimulants
had more arrests and were more likely to be institutionalized.
The
American Textbook of Psychiatry notes that as many as 75% of children
show some improvement on Ritalin.
However, 40% reported the same improvement when given a placebo. This suggests that half the response to
Ritalin could be a placebo effect.
In
his practice, the author never takes a child off medication without the
prescribing physicians' or parents' agreement. Nutritional methods may work quickly, but at times several
months may be required to replenish nutrients, and rebalance body chemistry.
CRIME AND DELINQUENCY
This
article would not be complete without noting the connection between children's
behavior problems and those of young adults. It is no accident that both problems have escalated together. Hair tissue mineral analyses on
delinquents and adult offenders reveal similar nutritional imbalances as are
present in ADHD children.
An
excellent book on this subject is Diet, Crime and Delinquency by Alexander
Schauss, PhD. The book cites many
studies showing a clear relationship between nutrient deficiencies, toxic
metals, hypoglycemia, food allergies, junk food diets and criminal
behavior. As we spend more money
for prisons and police, would it not be wise to examine causes, instead of
always dealing with effects?
CONCLUSION
In
the author's experience, most children with ADHD have one or more of the
following nutritional imbalances: mineral and vitamin deficiencies, toxic metal
accumulation, stimulants in the diet, junk food or other improper diet, hidden
infections, chronic candida albicans infection, food or environmental
allergies, or a rapid rate of metabolism. Often nutritional imbalances were passed on at birth -
congenital but not genetic. Some
children also have structural imbalances correctable through chiropractic or
osteopathic methods.
Diagnostic
labels and drugs such as Ritalin are of some benefit to ADHD children. However, simple changes in the diet and
the correction of candida overgrowth, allergies and nutrient imbalances can add
a new dimension to the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
References
1. Cleave, T.L., The
Saccharine Disease, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT, 1975.
2. Crook, W.G., The
Yeast Connection Handbook, Professional Books, Inc., Jackson, TN, 1999.
3. Eck, P and
Wilson, L, Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease, The Eck
Institute of Applied Nutrition and Bioenergetics, Ltd., Phoenix, AZ, 1989.
4. Feingold, B., Is
Your Child Hyperactive, Random House, New York, 1975.
5. Hoffer, A, and
Walker, M, Orthomolecular Nutrition, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT,
1978.
6. Marlowe, M,
Moon, C., Errera, J, Jacobs, J., Bunson, M, Stellern, J, Schroeder, C, Low
Mercury Levels and Childhood Intelligence, J. Ortho. Med., Vol. 1, #1, pp
43-49.
7. The Lancet, May
1987 (lead toxicity and intelligence).
8. Pfeiffer, C, Mental
and Elemental Nutrients, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT 1975.
9. Pfeiffer, C, Zinc
and Other Micronutrients, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT 1978.
10. Phelps, J.K., and Nourse, A., The
Hidden Addiction, Little Brown and Company, Boston and Toronto, 1986.
11. Price,
W., Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Price-Pottenger Nutrition
Foundation, San Diego, CA 1945, 1979.
12. Rapp, D., Is This Your Child?, William
Morrow and Company, New York, 1991.
13. Rapp,
D., Is This Your Child's World?, Bantam Books, New York, 1996.
14. Schauss,
A, Diet, Crime and Delinquency, Parker House Books, Berkeley, CA,
1982.
15. Schmidt,
M, Smith, L, and Sehnert, K, Beyond Antibiotics, North
Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA, 1993.
16. Toxic
Trace Metals in Mammalian Hair and Nails, EPA-600, 4.79-049, August 1979, US
Environmental Protection Agency, Research and Development.
17. Wilson, L., Nutritional
Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, L.D. Wilson Consultants, Prescott,
AZ, 1991,1998, 2005.
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