ADHD without Drugs

Attention Paid

You've probably noticed that attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) has been "re-branded" in the mainstream medical marketplace. Yep - it's not just for kids anymore. If we're to believe drugs at all. And even more rare is a study that dares imply that a nutritional deficiency might actually play a role in attention deficit. Against all odds, however, I found such a study. And while its design and methods are refreshingly drug-free, the dietary conclusion requires a closer look. Bring on the kids The study itself is simple enough. Knowing that iron deficiency may trigger abnormal neurotransmission, researchers at the European Pediatric Hospital in Paris, France, evaluated the
deficiency of this mineral in two groups of adolescents.
                                                                                                     
 As reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent  Medicine, blood samples from more than 50 kids between the  ages of 4 and 14 years - all diagnosed with ADHD - were examined to determine ferritin levels. (Ferritin is a protein that  stores iron.) The researchers also examined blood samples  from a control group of nearly 30 kids with no symptoms of ADHD.
                                                                                                                 
The French team reported three striking results:
                                                                                                              
* The ADHD group had a lower average ferritin level compared  to the control group.

* Almost 85 percent of the ADHD kids had abnormal ferritin  levels, compared to less than 20 percent of the control subjects.

* The most severe ADHD symptoms were observed in kids with low ferritin levels.
  
In their conclusion, the researchers write that low iron stores may  contribute to ADHD, and children with ADHD might benefit from  iron supplementation.

The plus and the minus

I knew that HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., would find this study  interesting. In the e-Alert "How to Dismantle an '89 Ford" (6/3/02),  Dr. Spreen wrote at some length about the ways nutrition directly affects kids' behavior, particularly in regard to ADHD.
                                                                                                        
After looking over the French research, Dr. Spreen told me he  thought the results were dependable, and described the study
 as "very helpful." But he added: "Then again, there's some reading between the lines that I would suggest..."
                                                                                                         
Dr. Spreen: "Unfortunately, it can be a bit more difficult than just  giving iron in such a situation. One of the rubs comes in when  you try to evaluate whether the problem is actually iron or could  these kids be generally nutritionally deficient? No levels of any  other nutrients were taken, so we have no idea at all if the problem is really iron or a plethora of nutrients. (My personal experience  leads me to believe that such kids are generally trashed,  nutritionally, besides just iron, which is all that ferritin measures.)"

The bigger picture

"Okay, so let's say the problem is iron...alone. Most of the solutions tend to be inorganic iron in supplement form (or, heaven forbid, by injection). First, it tends to be poorly
absorbed, and second, such agents are well known to generate the formation of free radicals, molecules that  damage cell membranes throughout the body. That's  why our bodies insulate us from our own iron by placing  it within a heme ring (hemoglobin). We need the stuff for oxygen transfer, but we also need to be protected from it.
That's why I recommend organic iron, as in calves liver  (good luck getting THAT down a kid), or desiccated liver tablets.
                                                                                                  
"So the problem is STILL iron. Remember that, free radicals or not, it's possible that the iron may not be  absorbed well. I've had several patients who took iron (including painful injections) for laboratory-confirmed anemia (low iron levels) and still remained anemic!
When I threw in high levels of vitamin B-12 and folic acid (higher than the silly RDA), even if they were not clinically low in these nutrients, their iron levels normalized. That's why I 've learned to take a more 'shotgun' approach, even if I think I know what the actual problem is.
                    
"Ah, but it gets better (or, maybe, worse): I don't think correcting iron alone will do it (with or without B-12, folic acid, and maybe even digestive enzymes). If food
allergies are not dealt with, if sugar and refined white  flour are not massively lowered, if artificial additives are not eliminated (colors, flavors, MSG, preservatives,
 etc.), the changes from supplements could still fail to work properly.
              
"I FIRMLY believe ADHD is fixable...without drugs of any  kind in the VAST majority of cases."
           
 If you have a child, a grandchild or a friend who may have  been diagnosed with ADHD, I strongly recommend  Dr. Spreen's nutritional tips for addressing this problem.
To read about them in more detail, you can easily use key words to search for "How to Dismantle an '89 Ford"  in the HSI e- Alert archives on our web site: www.hsibaltimore.com

To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
"Iron Deficiency in Children With Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder" Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 158, No. 12, December 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov