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ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is often found in association with other disruptive behavioral disorders and commonly occurs in association with aggression.  In conventional medicine, the common approach to these problems is to use drugs like Ritalin (methylphenidate) in an attempt to alter brain function and control the undesirable behavior.  In some extreme cases, the drug approach may be the only way to improve the situation, but in most cases there are natural steps that can be taken to normalize brain function and/or modulate behavior without risking the side-effects that can occur with the drugs.

Step one is to first identify if the child actually has a problem.  In my experience, some very normal children with very normal behavior may get labeled as having ADHD, when in fact what they have is a severe case of being a child.  Kids who are especially energetic and particularly those who are naturally inquisitive and intelligent can sometimes be behavioral challenges in classrooms and social settings.  It is important to distinguish between a child who has an inability to focus and behave “properly” and one who simply assimilates information rapidly, and wants to move on to the next thing and have fun.  My advice here is don’t automatically assume the worst when a teacher or school administrator tells you that your child has ADHD and recommends that you see about having him or her medicated.  In some cases, the kid may just be so far ahead of his peers that he’s bored with the school work and is needing more mental stimulation than the regular classes can provide.  While a brilliant child can definitely be a challenge to handle, it’s a very different situation than dealing with an ADHD child.  To help distinguish whether or not a child truly has ADHD, I recommend consulting with a child psychologist who will do an in-depth evaluation as opposed to going to your family doctor or pediatrician who may simply write a prescription for Ritalin.

Once you establish that your child does have ADHD, step two is to look at the possibility of nutritional triggers.  While the stereotypical food trigger of hyperactive behavior in kids is sugar, there are some other common food sensitivities that appear to make ADHD worse.  Dairy products, including milk, cheese, and ice cream can dramatically worsen ADHD related symptoms in those kids who are reactive to them.  Wheat and corn too can be big triggers in some kids.  In addition, certain food additives, such as artificial colors, “flavor enhancers” (the most familiar of which is MSG), and preservatives can set off extreme ADHD behavior in certain susceptible individuals.  Testing for food allergies/sensitivities can be done by means of elimination diets - in other words, removing suspected foods from the diet one at a time for a few days at a time per item and noting the changes in behavior patterns.  Another option is conventional allergy testing with an allergist who works with food allergy issues.  Finally, there’s the “energy medicine” version of allergy testing and elimination which is a bit strange to the uninitiated, but can be extremely effective and often works better and faster than conventional allergy treatment.

The other aspect of nutrition to be considered is nutrient intake, so step three is to try to improve the child’s diet to be as nutritious as possible.  A healthy diet for a child is the same as it is for an adult.  A diet that is rich in fresh produce, moderate amounts of meat, fish, poultry and eggs, and some whole grains and nuts will supply a good nutrient intake, especially if you go with organic products as much as possible.  But getting adults to eat that way is tough, and getting kids to eat that way can be next  to impossible.  Instead of trying for “perfect”, I suggest focusing on minimizing processed foods, trying to get kids to eat some kind of fresh vegetables and fruit, minimizing the amount of refined carbohydrates (sweets, bread - especially white bread, cereal - especially cereal with a lot of sugar and/or artificial ingredients, chips, and pasta) in the diet, and working on keeping sodas and “juice drinks” (the ones that have almost no actual juice in them) to a minimum. 

Because the perfect diet is rarely achieved, step four is to use good quality nutritional supplements to ensure adequate nutrient intake.  Considerable research over the years has shown that several nutrients can have a big impact on ADHD and related behavioral disorers.  In particular, deficiencies of chromium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids seem to be associated with childhood ADHD and/or aggressive behavior.  While many parents tell me that they give their kids vitamins, usually the quality of the supplements that are being used is poor at best.  In fact, many of the popular brands of children’s vitamins on the market are little more than marginally nutritious candy.  Yes, the vitamins need to taste good enough to get the kids to actually take them, but why bother with them at all if they aren’t going to do any good? 

In my practice, the children’s vitamin I recommend is called Mighty Mins, made by a doctor’s nutrition company called Nutri-Spec.   Mighty Mins was actually tested some years ago with regards to its effects on children with ADHD and behavioral problems who were participating in the Prevention Program of the Mountain View Community Medical Association in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania.   The participants in the study were 27 children, ranging from  to 10 years old.  The children were evaluated prior to implementing the supplement using the Pediatric Behavior Scale that measures impulsiveness, compulsiveness, learning difficulties, inattentiveness, temper bursts, mood swings, and social problems on a scale of 0 to 3 (with 0 being none and 3 being very high or very often).  The children were then re-evaluated within 12 months of beginning supplementation.  The mean (average) test scores on the PBS criteria were reduced by approximately 50% or more on all seven criteria following the implementation of Mighty Mins.   Furthermore, of the 17 children who had been medicated for their behavioral issues prior to and during the first part of the study, all but 2 were able to completely stop their medication after several months on the supplement. 

To my knowledge, no other supplement has ever been tested specifically with regards to its effects on children with ADHD and behavior problems.  And since Mighty Mins is strictly a multi vitamin and mineral supplement, I strongly suspect that the study findings would have been even better if it had been combined with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as the Complete Children’s DHA/EPA by Nutriwest (not to be confused with Nutri-Spec, the company that makes Mighty Mins).  You may be interested to read the full details of  the Mighty Mins study.  Nutri-Spec only sells through their registered doctors.  If you wish to have your doctor order them for you, or if you would like to order them through my office, feel free to contact me for details.

Finally, step number five may come as a surprise, but you might want to have your child checked by a chiropractor and/or a Cranio-Sacral Therapist.  There is a growing body of research and case studies that indicate chiropractic treatment is helpful in many cases of ADHD and other behavioral disorders.  Chiropractic can be administered by means of a wide variety of techniques, including some that are extremely gentle, and most kids enjoy getting their chiropractic adjustments.  The mechanical joint corrections of chiropractic can often help to normalize neurological functioning, including that of the brain.  Likewise, Cranio-Sacral Therapy reduces tension on soft tissue structures that surround the brain which can make a dramatic improvement in ADHD.  The improvements in some ADHD children from these and other bodywork approaches can be incredibly dramatic and are certainly worth investigating. 

Stay tuned to this blog for additional information on natural ADHD remedies.

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