Natural Steps for ADHD (check the Evidence rating)
*** Good Evidence of a health benefit.
** Some Evidence of a health benefit.
* Traditionally used with only anecdotal evidence.
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Lifestyle
Cognitive behaviour changes to increase relaxation and focused attention.***
Nutrition
Healthy eating habits with unrefined foods, excluding all food additives and colourings***
Vitamin/Mineral
These nutrients have been shown to help ADHD:
Magnesium**
B Vitamins*
Vitamin B6*
Herbal
The following herbs are normally used for ADHD:
Evening Primrose Oil*
Echinacea*
Alternative/Complementary Therapy
The most commonly used Complementary Approaches to ADHD are:
Meditation**
Exercise**
Discussion
Healthy eating habits with regular, small, wholesome meals and food supplements can go a long way to improve concentration, according to Dr Arien van der Merwe.
About 5-10 per cent of school going children suffer from various degrees of poor concentration. It is four to six times more common in boys than girls. The main theory is that ADHD) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the concentration centre of the brain.
Diagnosis made far too easily
ADHD has become a fashionable diagnosis and it is made far too easily and quickly.
The child's whole physical and psychological profile must be evaluated by a team of experts, including a medical doctor, a child psychologist, a speech therapist and eye specialist before the diagnosis can be made.
Several disorders may seem like attention deficit. First eliminate hearing, speech and visual problems. Disturbed sleep is common in young children and can lead to symptoms of ADHD.
Then eliminate petit mal (absency attacks) epileptic seizures.
In older children you have to consider drug abuse, which can cause slowness and memory disorders. Depression, anxiety, tension and adapting to a new school or a new environment are often incorrectly diagnosed as attention deficit.
Strong psychological component of ADHD
ADHD has a strong psychological component: food intolerance, allergy, micronutrient deficiency, infections, genetic factors, lead and other toxic metals, and psychological factors all play a role in the syndrome. Prescribing Ritalin for this is not going to work.
Why antibiotics might not work
In children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) the immune system is often not functioning optimally. These children get a lot of infections and allergies, which aggravate the symptoms of hyperactivity.Taking antibiotics or other pharmaceutical medication aggravates the problem.
Many young children suffer from middle-ear infection, hyperactivity or both. The usual treatment includes antibiotics and grommets. The broad spectrum antibiotic destroys both the beneficial and the harmful bacteria. Research has shown that more than 75 per cent of middle-ear infections are caused by a virus and that antibiotics are ineffectual as treatment.
Taking antibiotics only leads to fungal infections (thrush or candida). Studies at the University of Colorado's Health Science Centre and the Yeshiva Medical School in New York have shown that children with recurring ear infections are three and a half times more prone to hyperactivity.
Overproduction of Candida albicans may very well be the common denominator. The fungus secretes toxins which weaken the immune system and induce more infections. Candida can also cause irritation of the nervous system.
Natural remedies
What to do
1. Diet
Try an elimination diet. Supplements can often reduce or solve a dietary problem. My experience and that of other practitioners clearly show that the correct supplements, used together with stress management techniques, are extremely successful.
The condition can improve considerably and even be cured through healthy eating habits with regular, small, wholesome meals to keep the blood glucose levels constant (low blood sugar increases hyperactivity and leads to poor concentration).
2. Exercise
Regular exercise is also important to channel the energy.
Meditation and other relaxation techniques bring about a marked improvement in the ability to concentrate as well as in quality of life. This will benefit the whole family!
What to take
1. Supplements
In addition to healthy eating habits the following supplements may help to improve concentration:
Essential fatty acids (for the deficiency of delta-6 desaturase);
Also foodstate chromium (200 micrograms), vanadium (50 micrograms) and molybdenum (200 micrograms) to keep blood sugar levels constant;
Calcium, magnesium;
and the amino acid taurine every day.
2. Herbal remedies
Consult your doctor or a professional herbal practitioner before using any of the herbs mentioned in the following section, especially if you suffer from a chronic disease or are on other medications. Also read the section on herb safety.
Try to put such a child on a natural alternative to antibiotics (such as Echinacea) for a few weeks , Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium bifidus, a supplement for the respiratory system and wholesome food, including live yoghurt cultures. In addition take essential fatty acids and a calcium and magnesium supplement and see what happens. This regime should work for any child with recurring infections.
Children with hyperactivity often have allergies as well. The culprits are usually milk, wheat, chocolate, eggs and cereals. Sugar can also aggravate the condition. Children who have sugar-sensitive symptoms of hyperactivity may have an underlying candida infection.
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