Best Natural Remedies for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD) is defined as a condition in which a child has an inability to concentrate, shows disruptive behavior, lack of concentration and sometimes excessive physical activity.

ADHD has been associated with learning difficulties and lack of social skills. Obviously, what constitutes “normal” in these areas covers a wide spectrum. Thus it is unclear which child suffers true ADHD and which child is just more rebellious or rambunctious than another. No objective criteria exist to accurately confirm ADHD.

ADHD often goes undiagnosed if not caught at an early age, and it affects many adults who may not know of their condition.

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

ADHD is generally recognized by 

·         A pattern of inattention 

·         Distractibility 

·         impulsivity and hyperactivity

·         Learning disabilities or emotional problems are often seen in ADHD

·         Children with ADHD experience an inability to sit still and pay attention in class

·         They often engage in disruptive behavior

Dietary changes 

The two most studied dietary approaches to ADHD are the Feingold diet and a hypoallergenic diet.

The Feingold diet

Benjamin Feingold, M.D developed this diet, on the idea that salicylates (chemicals similar to aspirin that are found in a wide variety of foods) are an underlying cause of hyperactivity. In some studies, this hypothesis does not appear to hold up.

However, in studies where markedly different levels of salicylates were investigated, a causative role for salicylates could be detected in some hyperactive children. According to a study 10 to 25% of children may be sensitive to salicylates. Parents of ADHD children can contact local Feingold Associations for more information about which foods and medicines contain salicylates.

The Feingold diet also eliminates synthetic additives, dyes, and chemicals, which are commonly added to processed foods. The yellow dye tartrazine has been specifically shown to provoke symptoms in controlled studies of ADHD-affected children. Again, not every child reacts, but enough do so that a trial avoidance may be worthwhile.

The Feingold diet is complex and requires guidance from either the Feingold Association or a healthcare professional familiar with the Feingold diet.

Hypoallergenic Diet

The Hypoallergenic Diet is a clinically designed program to help you identify the food triggers of chronic disease. The Hypoallergenic Diet is also known as the elimination diet.

The diet uses food elimination and re-introduction to identify foods that can cause disease symptoms in sensitive individuals.

In one study, children diagnosed with ADHD were put on a hypoallergenic diet, and those children who improved (about one-third) were then challenged with food additives.

All of them experienced an aggravation of symptoms when given these additives. Other studies have shown that eliminating individual allergenic foods and additives from the diet can help children with attention problems.

Some parents believe that consuming sugar may aggravate ADHD. One study found that avoiding sugar reduced aggressiveness and restlessness in hyperactive children.

Girls who restrict sugar have been reported to improve more than boys. However, a study using large amounts of sugar and aspartame found that negative reactions to these substances were limited to just a few children. While most studies have not found sugar to stimulate hyperactivity, except in rare cases, the experimental design of these studies may not have been ideal for showing an adverse effect of sugar on ADHD, if one exists. Further studies are needed.

Lifestyle changes 

Smoking during pregnancy should be avoided, as it appears to increase the risk of giving birth to a child who develops ADHD.

Lead and other heavy-metal exposures have been linked to ADHD. If other therapies do not seem to help a child with ADHD, the possibility of heavy-metal exposure can be explored with a health practitioner.

Nutritional supplements 

Magnesium

Some children with ADHD have lowered levels of magnesium. In a preliminary, controlled trial, children with ADHD and low magnesium levels were given 200 mg of magnesium per day for six months. Compared with other magnesium-deficient ADHD children, those given magnesium supplementation had a significant decrease in hyperactive behavior.

L-Carnitine

In a double-blind study, supplementation with L-Carnitine for eight weeks resulted in clinical improvement in 54% of a group of boys with ADHD, compared with a 13% response rate in the placebo group. The amount of L-Carnitine used in this study was 100 mg per 2.2 pounds of body weight per day, with a maximum of 4 grams per day. No adverse effects were seen, although one child developed an unpleasant body odor while taking L-Carnitine. Researchers have found that this uncommon side effect of L-Carnitine can be prevented by supplementing with riboflavin. Although no serious side effects were seen in this study, the safety of long-term L-Carnitine supplementation in children has not been well studied. This treatment should, therefore, be monitored by a physician.

Essential Fatty Acids

A deficiency of several essential fatty acids has been observed in some children with ADHD compared with unaffected children. In one study children with ADHD were given evening primrose oil supplements in an attempt to correct the problem. Although some benefit was seen, the results were not pronounced. In a 12-week double-blind study, children with ADHD were given either a placebo or a fatty-acid supplement providing daily: 186 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 480 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 96 mg of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), 864 mg of linoleic acid, and 42 mg of arachidonic acid. Compared with the placebo, the fatty-acid supplement produced significant improvements in both cognitive function and behavioral problems. No adverse effects were seen.

Vitamin B

B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6, have also been used for ADHD. Deficient levels of vitamin B6 have been detected in some ADHD patients. In a study of six children with low blood levels of the neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) serotonin, vitamin B6 supplementation (15–30 mg per 2.2 pounds of body weight per day) was found to be more effective than methylphenidate. However, lower amounts of vitamin B6 were not beneficial. The effective amount of vitamin B6 in this study was extremely large and could potentially cause nerve damage, although none occurred in this study. A practitioner knowledgeable in nutrition must be consulted when using high amounts of vitamin B6. High amounts of other B vitamins have shown mixed results in relieving ADHD symptoms.