Diet and ADHD

Can sugar, candy and pop increase hyperactivity in ADHD kids? Very probably not. I can tell you though that there is now a study which shows that fish oils (Omega 3) can actually improve ADHD kids’ learning abilities and attention spans.

The study was done by the University of South Australia. They gave 132 children the fish oils together with evening primrose oil and they found that about 50% showed definite improvement in ADHD symptoms. This is a higher success rate than Ritalin, which as you know is an amphetamine like drug (methylphenidate) and which has numerous sinister side effects which range from weight issues to depression and insomnia.

Did you know that certain studies have shown that ADHD children seem to have higher levels of phthalates in their urine? These phthalates are contained in cling film, food and beverage packaging, cosmetics, shower curtains and of course toys. I am not saying that these chemical plasticizers are causing ADHD but they do seem to have an effect on the severity of ADHD symptoms.

How can you avoid them? You can buy safer plastics with the PETE label and this applies especially to toys for kids. In addition more fresh organic foods can be bought and thus help you to avoid this risky plastic material. The FDA is actually under pressure now to issue some warnings and they say more studies need to be done.

ADHD Meds

It is a pity that the FDA is not so rigorous about powerful mind altering drugs prescribed in tons across the nation for ADHD children, who are too hyperactive and inattentive for our society. They therefore have to be medicated. There is a sinister ring to all this but many parents have taken steps to learn about ADHD now, and they will have nothing to do with meds which cause more problems for their kids than they solve.

While learning about ADHD, they are more and more convinced that there is a safer alternative. Homeopathy has been scorned by many in the medical community but they would do well to take a leaf out of the UK’s attitude to complementary medicine which is gaining great popularity over there. Many medical centres offer alternatives to conventional medicines. They happily share the same roof and have a much more tolerant attitude to the fact that alternatives are possible and that in many cases, such as learning about ADHD, there can be a safer, more effective solution. You can find out about this safer and cheaper solution from the link below this article.

http://childcaremanagement.net/Blogging/ADHD

So what are the foods to avoid so that children will not become hyperactive and start bouncing off the walls? You cannot choose foods to avoid ADHD but at least you can significantly lessen the impact. Most additives and colourings are to be avoided. The colourings sometimes called the ‘Dirty Six’ are now to be banned in the UK and Europe as studies show that they may increase inappropriate behavior and other behaviour problems in children.

As regards sugar itself, Jamie Oliver is absolutely convinced that the amount of sugar should be drastically reduced in cereals, snacks and other junk food on sale. These are some of the foods to avoid if you have an ADHD child. He is even proposing a tax on sugar! Certainly diabetes and obesity would drop although I am not so sure about ADHD. Other studies show that sugar itself does not increase restlessness or fidgeting. At the moment he is conducting a campaign with a famous supermarket chain in Britain showing families how they can cook a delicious, healthy balanced meal for only $7.

That is the secret to foods to avoid ADHD or at least to minimise the harmful effects of highly processed foods. There are countless studies which now show that ADHD children lack some of the essential vitamins and minerals which are essential for brain development. They will keep the brain functioning properly. The reason they lacked these essential elements is simply because they have an awful diet. Clearly there are many parents who are not yet convinced that there are foods to avoid if you have an ADHD child. So if Jamie Oliver can do it for British families, !

Apart from diet and which foods to avoid, there are a few other things that parents need to be aware of when trying to cope with ADHD. One is ADHD behaviour therapy which has saved many a family from ruin, while the other is to get wised up on ADHD natural cures as an alternative to ADHD meds which can cause more problems than they solve!

One of the most respected researchers on ADHD, William Pelham has now come out strongly against ADHD medications and asserts that research shows they are practically useless in the long term. This is just one of the facts about ADHD medications which may or may not get publicity, depending whose website you happen to be visiting. He also claims that fellow scientists were unwilling to acknowledge that there was evidence which showed that the usefulness of ADHD medications was somewhat limited over a number of years.

Alarmed by the number of doctors giving psychostimulants and antipsychotic drugs to children with ADHD which was not strictly necessary, the state of Florida decided to ask the doctors to go through a review process. The number of prescriptions dropped dramatically in a year. When the situation was getting out of hand, the authorities found that 23 babies less than a year old had been prescribed antipsychotics ! With e review process in place, the number dropped to zero last year. Why do you think that facts about ADHD medications like these are not given wider coverage in other States or in the media?

Why do you think that the FDA has a warning on the front page of their website which states very clearly that the drug companies must issue what they coyly call ‘Medication Guides’? These guides are to warn patients that psychotic events and/or cardiovascular risks have been linked to the ADHD medications. There are no such warnings or risky side effects with ADHD natural cures.

The other facts about ADHD medications that parents want to know is what are the long term effects on the neural development of their children. One of the most alarming facts about ADHD medications is that nobody knows exactly how they work on the brain transmitters which control our impulses, moods and concentration. So, we have drugs which are basically mind altering ones (they are a sophisticated dose of ‘speed’ in many cases) which have not been studied for their effects in the long term development of children generally. Loss of appetite, stunted growth and anxiety are all linked to the ADHD medications, yet the number of prescriptions seems to be spiralling out of control. Facts on ADHD meds tend to get a very patchy coverage.

Wiser parents are not going to be taken in by this state of affairs much longer. They now know, no thanks to Big Pharm, that there are alternative therapies available. They now know that a combination of ADHD behavioral therapy with proper home and school support will work wonders.

With a natural cure, this will work even better, given that the side effects are non-existent. Facts on ADHD meds will always be censured to a certain degree as long as we have a flourishing drugs industry.