Nutrition for kids with ADHD

'Brain food' as an alternative to medication

By Balancetv.ca

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neuro-biological disorder found in children. The traditional approah to dealing with this problem is with medication, such as ritalin.

Dr. Michael Lyon, author of Is Your Child's Brain Starving? joined Balance Television host Dr. Marla Shapiro to talk about an alternative way to treat this condition.

Lyon's interest in ADHD stems from personal reasons. Eight years ago, his son's case of ADHD was coming to a head, and there was pressure to put his son on medication. "Instead of medicating him," Lyon said, "I decided to focus my whole career on trying to find answers for my son and hopefully other kids as well."

He focused on the diet of today's kids, who he refers to as Generation J: the junk food generation.

"I start with the presumption that underneath this child that's disabled is a child who often has special abilities, gifts and talents that are really waiting to come out, sort of like a flower that's never been allowed to blossom," Lyon said. "And their brains are under such a state of physiological stress that if you can relieve them of that stress through a process that we've developed then oftentimes the results are really quite remarkable."

How they can get them

Because today's children eat so much junk food there are a lot of essential 'brain nourishment' food that they aren't getting.

"First and foremost we focus on fats because the brain is made so much of fat," Lyon said. "We did a study where we found 82 per cent of kids with (ADHD) were deficient in a critical omega-3 fatty acid called DHA."

The only way to get DHA is to eat fish oils like salmon or to take salmon oil, he said. There are omega-3 oils in vegetable oil but Lyon said the research showed that kids couldn't adequately convert that into DHA which is what their brains really need. If you can get your kids to eat salmon or sardines, that's a good start. But he said he doesn't encourage parents to give their kids any old fish because there is currently a controversy that some fish, especially freshwater fish and larger predatory fish such as bigger tuna and swordfish may be contaminated with methylmercury. Because of that, Lyon said that this is one situation where a supplement is not a bad idea.

Another brain-critical nutrient is zinc. This is where kids who are vegetarian often have some difficulties, Lyon noted. "It's really a worldwide epidemic, zinc deficiency in kids." You also need proteins to make neuro-transmitters, to keep the brain fuctioning well, so it's important to eat protein throughout the day.

Other micro-nutrients such as magnesium and antioxidants found in fruits in vegetables are key to maintaining good brain health. Lyon said that parents don't realy use their parental authority to help broaden their kids' horizons and get them eating vegetables.

"The most common vegetable in North American kids is French fries followed closely by ketchup," Lyon said. "That's a shame. Kids need to eat fresh fruits and vegetables."

Mood food for kids

Mental health though nutrition

By Balancetv.ca

Is poor nutrition affecting our children's ability to learn? Author and nutritionist Patrick Holford thinks it is.

We've all heard of a mid-lfe crisis but what about a kid-life crisis? Is there one?

Nutritionist Patrick Holford, author of Optimum Nutrition for the Mind says there sure is. The problem? Poor diet.

"The incidence of problems with kids is going up," Holford says. "Depression is going up. Even suicide is going up. Autism is going up. And big time Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)."

Whew. Quite a list. The question is, how much of that is related to environment, lifestyle and eating habits and how much of it is genetically predetermined?

Holford insists that while there may be genetic factors, the fact that the incidence is rising means it's something we're doing, or not doing. And part of it is certainly diet.

Too many kids are living on junk foods when what they need is more brain food, Holford says.

"They're like jets: they refuel on the move, going from a sugary drink to a sugary snack," Holford explains. "They're not getting the vitamins and minerals they need and they're not getting the essential fats they need."

Here are some of Holford's nutrition tips for parents who want their children to have a healthy diet of brain food.

More fish, less meat
Fish are rich in essential omega-3 fats. Also, look for omega-3 eggs from chickens fed on flaxseed.

Ground seeds
People don't get enough seeds. This is great for putting on your children's cereal.

More fruit
It seems obvious but many children still aren't eating enough fruit. Holford says the three best fruits are berries, apples and pears.

B vitamins
B vitamins, particularly folic acid Holford says, are important for a child's brain. So be sure your child eats plenty of dark green vegetables such as broccoli. Beans and lentils are also very rich in folic acid.

Multivitamins
Holford believes taking a multivitamin can only help a child's nutrition.

For more information, visit www.patrickholford.com

These articles appeared in Dec /05 http://www.canadianliving.com