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At a time when Americans are searching for causes of
developmental problems, learning disabilities, aggression
and violence among children,
it would make sense to consider
faulty nutrition, food additives, tobacco additives, toxic metals,
pesticides and other endocrine-disrupting industrial toxicants not
to mention pharmaceuticals --
all of which many U.S. children are exposed to from the moment of
conception onward.
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As a society, we need to be aware
of the impact this serious disruptive behavioral trend is having in 3 major ways:
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The added expense to our
schools, which requires the support of our ever-rising property taxes
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The impact on correctional
institutions, both from the point of view of the under-served
child, and (again) the added expense to Society.
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The impact on our Nation of
declining intelligence and scholastic ability. Student
achievement has stagnated or fallen
in most subjects since 1970,
with the largest and most thoroughly established decline
occurring in basic literacy.
There are already those who charge
that a bias exists in the system to "get rid of" children who need
additional and expensive support systems.
And in turn, this is reflected in
the juvenile justice system where (while little is heard of this
fact, since race and poverty are the more fashionable research
options for delinquency)
developmentally challenged children are over-represented.
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I read an expert opinion the other
day, which opined that there are two camps on the subject of
ADD/ADHD: one that believes it is an imaginary disorder invented
simply to sell medication, and the other which believes that pretty
much everyone could benefit from treatment.
There is a THIRD
camp, however, which acknowledges the existence of the problem, but
believes, with a great deal of evidence both scientific and
empirical, that dietary and environmental factors are the root
cause.
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The role of improper diet
HAS to be acknowledged, and proper feeding of our children
addressed by (in order of probability) Parents and religious
organizations, school districts, and the Government.
A friend and colleague of mine,
Carol Simontacchi, has written a book I cannot recommend too
highly, which draws a road map of the effect faulty diet has on the
developing brain and the susceptible brain of the adolescent.
It is called "The Crazy Makers - or How the Food Industry is
destroying our brains and harming our children" and can
be ordered from her website here - you will need to scroll down
the page to locate it: it is item #10. You will also find
outlines for successful and "do-able" strategies for the family.
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She has given me permission to
quote the following from the book:
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WHY DO TEENAGERS SELF-DESTRUCT
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"When these kids try to destroy
themselves and the others around them, they are continuing down the
path they started when they were born, continuing the destruction of
their own brain cells ... From outcome studies that compare the test
scores of teenagers who eat well and teenagers who eat the typical
American diet, we can assume that some physical damage has been
done, or that something is not functioning correctly in the brain.
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THESE KIDS WILL NEVER LIVE UP TO
THEIR POTENTIAL. WE WON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEIR POTENTIAL WAS."
(Lynn: my emphasis)"
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Even more alarming to me (bearing in
mind that either aspartame,
sucralose or MSG is in everything young people
crave: potato chips, pops,
even milk) is the connection being made between obesity and these foods -
I use the term "food" lightly. Now we have to face the possibility that our
children's
mental acuity, their weight, and even their future fertility
are
all being affected by these addictive taste enhancers.
Even in the
face of increasing evidence of harm, junk food manufacturers have continued to
deny any connection.
We need to take note of these
things, and work to bring about an awareness of the motives of the
makers of prepared foods and the purveyors of fast foods: motives which do not include bettering
the health of this nation's children, whatever they say - but are
related to their own profits. Only when their bottom line is
threatened do they make changes, and even then reluctantly and
inadequately. The recent introduction of so-called
"Whole Grains" is a case in point.
You can read my article on Raising Healthy Children here
There is no doubt that parents today
are facing monumental challenges as a result of environmental and
dietary changes in our lifestyles.
If Albert Einstein and Winston
Churchill, let alone Alexander Graham Bell or Louis Pasteur, had
been born in this age, I wonder
whether we would ever have enjoyed the fruits of their talents? They
all had Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and must
have been holy terrors to teach or control.
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Nowadays, they would have
been drugged into compliance, along with approximately 3 to 4%
of all American children,
the percentage being higher for boys
than for girls. |
What is more, they would be
prescribed these drugs for a condition that was simply "voted" into
existence, and on the basis of tests that are of dubious validity.
Learn more about this issue here
Dr. Peter Breggen. MD. (Director
of the Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology) wrote an
impassioned letter on the subject to the New York Times in May 1996,
in which he pointed out that some of the other factors in play here
include a "spirited, creative nature that defies conformity,
inconsistent discipline or lack of unconditional love, boring and
oversized classrooms, an over stressed teacher, and anxiety due to
abuse or neglect. In my own clinical experience, many such children
are energetic, creative and independent youngsters struggling within
the constraints of an inattentive, conflicted or stressed adult
environment. Thus we end up drugging our best and brightest."
When you add an inadequate diet
which causes mis-firing in the brain to the kind of nature he
describes, you are going to have fireworks, no doubt about it.
Nobody will disagree with the
conclusion that using Ritalin, with its many harmful
side-effects and potential for abuse, is not the answer of choice. The popularity of Ritalin is to a
large extent based on the fact that immediate positive results are
achieved: however, there have not been many studies on the long term
use of this medication.
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Originally ADHD was perceived as a
short term problem, which would naturally disappear with age
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The
risks inherent in strong medication were therefore acceptable since it was
assumed the drug would be used short term only. Now, we know that ADHD
is not self-limiting: alarmingly, one of the only long term studies of
Ritalin use shows that at the end of 8 years, 80% of the children
continued to have ADHD symptoms. Not only that, but 60% of them had
worsened, developing either Opposition Defiant Disorder (ODD) or
Conduct Disorder (CD), both of which are considered worse diagnoses
than ADHD. Even more telling, there was NO statistical difference
between the long term success/symptoms of those treated with drugs
versus those who used no medications! (Am. J.
of Nat. Med. Mar.1998, p. 9)
Additionally, a study published in 2007 showed
that children using Ritalin for over 3 years, have their height and
weight affected adversely by 1 inch and over 4 pounds.
(Swanson, J.M. Journal of the American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, August 2007; vol 46: pp
1014-1026.)
There is also an increased risk
of cardiovascular disease
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Unfortunately the problem is not
going to go away simply because many of us disagree with the
solution. Are there other possible approaches?
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Yes: this is a problem which a
number of highly successful holistic therapists have been addressing
for many years, starting with Dr. Feingold, and his well-known diet.
He contended that many of these youngsters are reacting allergically
to colorings, sugars and some substances in foods, and can be helped
by removing those foods from the diet. I have excerpted below
some information by Peter Montague from an article called ADHD &
Children's Environment. (see Resources for access to complete
text)
"There is considerable evidence
that food dyes can worsen the symptoms of ADHD in some children, but
government authorities deny the evidence. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has published a pamphlet called FOOD COLOR
FACTS which states that "there is no evidence that food color
additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children."
The pamphlet, though published by the FDA, was actually written by
the
International Food Information Council, a trade association
representing many makers of food additives including General Mills,
Kraft, Procter and Gamble, Pepsi-Cola, Coca Cola, Monsanto (maker of
aspartame), and Ajinomoto (maker of monosodium glutamate).[2,pg.25]
To make the statement that there is no evidence that food dyes cause
hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children, the FDA had to
ignore 16 double-blinded studies that have shown that food dyes do
worsen the symptoms of ADHD in some children.[2] (A double-blinded
study is one in which neither the participants, nor those observing
and recording the children's behavior, know which children have been
exposed to food dyes and which have not, the purpose being to avoid
bias.)
In 1976, a study of U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 11 found
they ingested an average of 76 milligrams of food dyes per day
(mg/day). Ten percent of those studied ingested twice that amount,
or 146 mg each day.
Since that time, the quantity of food dyes manufactured per person
in the U.S. has increased 50%.[2,pg.11]
While the possibility that confusion
among some parents as to what parenting actually is, may also be part of
this growing problem, and some children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD may simply
be in need of more parental guidance,
there is a very real danger that a "blame the parents" approach
can contribute to the raw deal developmentally children and their
parents receive.
which represents an important shift away form the
"medication first " knee jerk re-action.
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Another problem that calls for tears is Autism, a tragic disorder with disastrous consequences for the
children, their parents and our society. Yet until about 2005, general public ignorance
about the scope of the problem prevails.
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I quote excerpts from a letter by Anne McElroy Dachel
of
NAA (National Autism Association):
"For a long time, CDC officials
simply told the public that they didn’t know what the exact
figures on autism were. Since it is their job to know, eventually
they accepted that it might be as high as one in 166. We're being
overwhelmed with these children and the best the CDC can come up
with to explain the soaring increase is that it's due to "better
diagnosing" and an expanded spectrum of autism disorders (ASDs).
I've heard many teachers also repeat this self-congratulatory
reasoning: "We just missed these kids 20 years ago. They used to
fall through the cracks."
As someone who has taught for 25 years, this amazes me. You don't
"miss" an autistic student. Teachers who've been teaching for 40
years talk about having classrooms of more than 30 students when
they first started teaching. Today, classes are much smaller,
but teachers are overloaded with the demands of teaching all the
students with autism, attention deficit disorder and other
neurological problems. (Lynn: my emphasis)
Furthermore, if it’s true that doctors and educators are just
better at recognizing students with ASDs, then where are the
studies on previously undiagnosed or misdiagnosed autistic people
among older Americans? "
The most convincing evidence points to a link
between mercury in vaccines and this burgeoning epidemic. The
National Autism Association website gives you all the facts so you can decide for yourself:
this is the link to the information about
thimerosal and autism.
My opinion is that the actual burden
of vaccinations is as much of a threat as the mercury. The
Mayo
Clinic has a schedule on its site, which shows by my count,
20
vaccines by the age of 18 months.
It is sad that the miracle of vaccination, which made such a
difference in so many lives, has now become a threat:
However, I do not see that there can be any question about the
connection between the daunting number of childhood
vaccinations and the epidemic of autism. The
government is vehemently rejecting the possibility
that mercury might be the culprit, at the same time as
it recommends discontinuing its use, and as I say, it is entirely
possible that simply the burden of so many viruses all at
once is too much for the sensitive systems of small
children.
Renowned pediatrician
Dr. Sears recommends this routine for children about
to be vaccinated, to protect against the effect:
Vitamin
A. This specific vitamin helps with neurologic health.
It also helps regulate the immune system’s response to
infections. Some researchers believe it can play a role
in protecting the brain from vaccine side effects. Give
vitamin A once a day for 3 days prior to vaccines and
continue each day for 10 days after. Infants should get
1500 IUs daily, toddlers and preschoolers 2500 IUs and
older kids and teens 5000 IUs. Another
choice would be a total multivitamin liquid or chewable.
A better source of Vitamin A is cod liver oil, (Lynn: my
emphasis) available
at health food stores. The label will say how much
Vitamin A is in each teaspoon. You should be aware that
overdosing Vitamin A can be toxic, so do not exceed the
suggested amounts. I would suggest not using cod liver
oil for any baby younger than 9 months.
Vitamin C. This anti-oxidant vitamin can help boost the
immune system and may decrease vaccine side effects.
Give this once a day for 5 days starting on the day of
the shots. Infants should get 150 mg daily, toddlers and
preschoolers 250 mg, and older kids and teens 500 mg.
Vitamin C drops, chewables, and capsules are available
at any health food .. store. The amount of Vitamin
C in the multivitamins discussed above (with vitamin A)
usually isn’t enough.
However, there are also dietary
connections which can help or hinder the prognosis for a child. Salicyclates/phenols and opiates in gluten and milk are the most serious.
Here is one mother's story about her son and dairy.
Perhaps the most inspiring part of this tragedy is how Mothers have
taken matters into their own hands, done their own research, and in
many cases achieved inspiring results.
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Concerning Phenols
Of all the confusions and misunderstandings around the diet,
the issue of phenols and salicylates - and which should be
avoided - is perhaps the worst of all.
Firstly and most simply: A salicylate is a type of phenol and
all phenols are types of alcohol (though not the types that
make you drunk).
The confusion begins with phenol because it is both the name
of a specific chemical and the generic name for a group of
chemicals - "The phenols". The specific chemical is made up of
two components: A ring of six carbon atoms and an alcohol
group. In chemistry, a carbon ring is often called an
"aromatic" ring because chemicals of this type usually smell
quite strongly. The specific phenol chemical is a liquid and
was once used as a surgical antiseptic (i.e. it kills germs
and bacteria). It is still used in some household cleaners and
mouthwashes. It is quite toxic. No-one would ever dream of
knowingly drinking it.
Phenol is also used as a generic term for ANY chemical which
has an aromatic ring and an alcohol (hydroxyl) group. There
are countless such chemicals including tyrosine, a component
of most proteins (of both animal and vegetable origin) and
adrenalin. It would be impossible to avoid eating phenols.
It's not like gluten. Where there is life, there are phenols.
Salicylic acid is a type of phenol. It is made up of three
components: An aromatic ring and an alcohol group (like all
phenols) AND something called a carboxyl group. Salicylic acid
occurs naturally in certain plants and is used in making
aspirin and in food additives such as dyes. When salicylic
acid reacts with certain other chemicals, the resultant new
chemical is called a salicylate. There are lots of different
salicylates.
If there is a problem for our kids in this area it is likely
to be with salicylates rather than with all phenols. Why?
Because in the gut, it seems that breaking down salicylates
can use up a lot of sulphate and one of the
problems of our kids is that don't have much free sulphate in
their guts in the first place (which is why some of us find
Epsom Salt - magnesium sulphate - baths to be helpful). If
they use up their sulphate to break down salicylates, they
might not have enough to break down other chemicals. Plus
sulphate seems to play a key role in helping to keep a healthy
lining to the guts. This all makes sense because we all know
that one of the problems of long term use of aspirin is that
it can cause stomach bleeding because eating a lot of aspirin
can start to affect the walls of the stomach.
(Lynn: This information comes from an article on autism in
Red Flags (www.redflagsweekly.com/mead/2002_sept26.html) Dr,
Rosemary Waring, a research scientist and physician in Great
Britain has found that autistic children suffer from problems
of sulfation. In other words, the body’s natural
detoxification pathways, heavily moderated by sulfur, are
deficient. Studies have shown that supplementation of sulfate
minerals can have a dramatic effect. For instance, bathing
with magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts) can have an extremely
beneficial effect. Similarly, children who get transdermal
zinc sulfate also seem to do better. Sulfation is also greatly
aided by molybdenum and selenium. Lastly, transdermal
glutathione is an essential part of the sulfation chain.
Trimethylglycine also plays a part in sulfation - see
Sulfur and
detoxification)
As well as affecting the guts - or should that be "because
they affect the guts", salicylates have been fingered for
their role in causing hyperactivity in children (eg the
Feingold Diet) and also for sometimes causing skin problems
such as eczema and urticaria.
Feingold lists the foods which are high in salicylates as
being Almonds, Apples, Apricots, Berries (all), Cherries,
Chili powder, Cider & cider vinegar (apples), Cloves, Coffee,
Cucumbers & pickles, Currants, Grapes & raisins, Nectarines,
Oranges, Paprika, Peaches, Peppers (bell & chili), Plums,
prunes, Tangerines, Tea, Tomatoes, Wine & wine vinegar
(grapes), Oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate). Plus they
suggest avoiding all foods which list "natural flavors" or
"natural colours" as these are quite likely to contain
salicylates.
So should you avoid all these foods for your kids? Well, I
don't and if you look carefully at Feingold you'll see that
they don't either. What they suggest is that you remove all of
them to begin with and then re-introduce them one by one to
see which have negative effects and which don't.
Remember that there are many different types of salicylates
and some kids seem better at handling some than others. For
example, my Calum reacts badly to several foods on the above
list (e.g. blackcurrant, tomatoes and oranges). But other
foods produce no noticeable effects at all (e.g. apples,
grapes and strawberries). Then again he can't eat egg yolks or
prawns and they are not on the list at all. Neither are
bananas which many of our kids react badly too.
It's a drag but it looks like we just have to face it: After
gluten and casein are removed, almost all of us find a heap of
other things we have to avoid for our kids as well. And after
a year in the game I have come to the conclusion that whatever
list you consult for advice, at the end of the day there's no
getting away from it: Every kid is different and will have a
different pattern of things to avoid.
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 In
addition to dairy and gluten, many autistic (Lynn:
and ADD/ADHD)
children don't tolerate: |
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corn
soy
egg yolk
tomato
oranges
red grapes
colored fruits and vegetables
beef
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Foods high in phenols (frequently craved) include:
tomatoes
oranges
cocoa/chocolate
bananas
red grapes and colored fruits
apples
cow's milk |
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Here is a study on a
connection between
L-Carnosine and autism.
In fact, many of the dietary interventions, nutritional supplements
and vitamins which help children with ADD/ADHD
are also helpful for children with autism.
A 2005 study,
published in Medical Hypotheses, (2005 64,
312–315) examines 206 children under the age of 3 diagnosed with
autism, and comes up with a connection between ear infections and
the antibiotics prescribed for them. This is such sad information. As a holistic nutritionist, I have
been warning parents for 20 years that ear infections are not visited
on their children from above, but are almost always an avoidable
consequence of improper nutrition - usually connected with a dairy
intolerance.
Read my article here.
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Previous research
has found that children with food allergies are more likely to have a
"disturbed balance between beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria
in the large intestine, and benefit from the addition of probiotics.
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An article in
Gut
( July
2002;51:51-55)
says definitely that "a
healthy balance of gut microorganisms is essential for the normal
development of the immune system." The establishment of such a balance
in infancy is thought to nudge the immune system away from allergic
reactions to harmless substances in the environment.
In the above
investigation, the team of researchers evaluated 21 breast-fed infants
who were previously diagnosed with eczema and therefore had a
heightened risk of allergies. Infants were weaned to whey formula that
either did or did not contain good bacteria, and stool samples were
tested for the presence of good and bad bacteria. Those who did not
get the good bacteria-laden formula were more likely to have higher
concentrations of "bad" bacteria. What's more, the presence of these
bad bacteria appeared to be related to immune system responses and the
extent of eczema."
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Lynn: It has been determined that the very same
neurochemicals exist in the colon as in the brain,
and therefore, incredible as it may sound, the balance (or imbalance)
of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract can definitely have an
influence on brain function.
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Dr. Leo Galland has found that food
allergies are most likely to be a factor if any of these questions can
be answered with a "yes":
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Does the child have eczema,
asthma, hay fever, hives, or a chronic runny nose.
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Does the father or mother have
severe allergies or headaches
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Does the child have a
"geographical tongue", i.e. irregular flattened patches that look
like countries on a map.
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Does the child's ears turn red for
no apparent reason and
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Does the child crave single foods
- other than sweets.
I think it is important to make a
distinction between raw milk and pasteurized milk. Ever since my
children were little, even now that they are grown and gone, I
have been once a week to a farmer to pick up good Jersey milk, which
I make into butter, kefir and yoghurt. This was originally an instinctive
decision on my part, but if you look in RESOURCES
at right, you will find scientific support.
| Many people are finding
Pycnogenol helpful in ADHD, and the possible connection may be
that it helps block the allergic cascade. Dr. Packer of the University
of California, Berkeley has suggested also that it has an effect on
communication between brain cells. I have had parents whose children
were not helped by anything else find this effective, and have been
recommending it ever since I went to a conference presented by two
clinical psychologists (Steven Tannenbaum, Ph.D and Julie Paull, Ph.D.
of St. Louis) who themselves both suffered from adult ADD, and had
experienced beneficial results from using Pycnogenol. The usual
recommendation is 3 mg per 10 lbs. of body weight.
A 2006 study in Germany was even more positive,
finding a significant reduction of symptoms in children with ADHD
using pycnogenol.
Read a report on the study here
Order Pycnogenol here |
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Another possibility we cannot ignore
is that
Candida is playing a role
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Many of the
children who suffer from these developmental problems had recurrent ear infections
as infants, and have undergone many courses of antibiotics. This
alters the balance of the entire digestive tract by killing the
friendly bacteria needed to keep balance: probiotics (together with
the substances needed to sustain them, such as FructoOligoSaccharides
) are needed to restore homeostasis in this very important area.
SUGGESTION
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can be a common
underlying
cause of behavioral problems |
A fasting blood glucose test will give a certain
indication of this diagnoses, but symptoms themselves can give a clue:
if the child is worse when hungry and improves after (nutritious)
food, hypoglycemia may be suspected. Some of
the drugs prescribed to treat ADHD are appetite suppressants,
which may aggravate hypoglycemia, since a child often has anorexic
symptoms when on the drugs.
Additionally,
cravings for high carbohydrate and high-allergy foods are not only
part of the allergic cycle, but can also indicate the child is low in
certain macro-nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium.
It is a fact that mineral deficiencies are common in people with this
disturbance, and supplementing with them frequently makes quite a
difference.
Dr. Jonathan Wright adds new
perspective to the puzzle when
he points out that a majority of children with this problem have low
levels of hydrochloric acid, an acid produced in the stomach
and necessary for digestion to proceed normally. It is particularly
important for the proper absorption of calcium (see above!).
The drawback to this information is
that it is not a good idea to experiment with HCL use in children. One
possibility is administering some Swedish
Bitters, a mixture of bitter herbs such as Gentian, which have
much the same effect: and if the result is positive, contact a Natural
Health Professional for guidance on how to use actual HCL.
Another approach is to us
Trimethylglycine. This compound slowly releases HCL, and raises
stomach acidity safely. Bearing in mind the recent interest in
Secretin as a therapeutic agent, it is interesting to note that
secretin will only be produced if there is sufficient acidity in the
stomach.
Remember, one of the things HCL does is facilitate the uptake of
calcium and magnesium. Never underestimate the importance of
these minerals for children.
Adding
other digestive enzymes for better absorption of food can also be
very helpful: remember, allergies start when substances foreign to the
body are absorbed into the blood stream whole from the digestive tract
via the bloodstream, and perceived as invaders by the body's defenses.
Eliminating sweets, allergens and highly
refined foods in favor of nutrient dense snacks and high protein meals
with fresh fruits and vegetables, can go a long way towards helping
control ADHD. While I would never suggest replacing healthy foods with
supplements, the fact that many children absolutely cannot be coaxed
or coerced into eating their vegetables makes it handy that there are
now tasty chewable supplements of fruits and vegetables that can be
added to their vitamins.
SUGGESTION
A study in
Pediatrics (1993) reported that
thyroid dysfunction is much more common in children with
ADHD than in the general population. The problem seems to be almost
evenly divided between hyper (high) and hypo (low) thyroid. It would
in my opinion definitely be worth having a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
test done. If it were my child, and a problem were detected, I would
then consult a holistic M.D. to see what could be done nutritionally
before resorting to synthetic thyroid hormone, since long term use of
that drug can have unpleasant side effects .
A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found about 40% of
afflicted children showed low levels of
EFAs, manifesting also in
such symptoms as dry skin and hair, and excessive thirst.
Children who have those tiny rough bumps on the back of their arms are
likely manifesting signs of that deficiency. I highly recommend the
use of cod liver oil with EPA and DHA for any affected child.
Ear
Infections and Cod Liver Oil
An interesting study in the
Journal of Clinical Investigation in 1996 focused on DHA,
and found a measurable effect on stress as manifested by aggressive
behavior. I feel that when this information is combined with the
results of a 1998 Lancet study (Aug.29th) which found that DHA
and ARA (Arachidonic Acid) caused significant improvement in an
infant's ability to solve 3-step problems, and a British study (Lancet
1992) which found an 8 point difference in the IQs of children who
were breastfed and therefore received DHA, and those who were formula
fed, the connection between these Essential Fatty Acids and brain
function can hardly be exaggerated!
DHA is available as a
free-standing supplement from Algae, as well as in the form of Fish
Oil and Cod Liver Oil.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty
acid that is essential for the development of the nervous system and
vision during the first six months of life. Lack of sufficient DHA may
be associated with impaired mental and visual functioning as well as
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The
breast milk of American women is lacking in this nutrient, and
supplementing with it during pregnancy and while nursing brings
endless benefits.
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Considering also that it has been found to be
valuable in preventing depression, it may well play a role in
overcoming post-partum depression. |
Dr. Jay Lombard (co-author of the
book The Brain Wellness Plan, and assistant clinical professor
of neurology at New York Hospital) defines ADD/ADHD as affecting "an
array of neurotransmitters. What happens ... is that the brain stem
area inadequately produces or delivers neurotransmitters that are
involved with certain cognitive processes, or the receptors for these
transmitters do not receive them effectively." He adds that new types
of analysis such as PET scans show actual areas of low blood supply
in the ADD/ADHD patient's brain. He mentions specific amino acids (
Tyrosine, GABA, Taurine, Phenylalanine, which also affect
sulfation) as being helpful, and also
promotes the role of 3 nutritional substances, CDP-Choline,
Quercetin and Skullcap. The first because of its role in
significantly raising Choline levels in the brain, the latter two
because they are phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and can increase
available energy in brain cells by increasing cAMP - he states "it is
my opinion that increasing cAMP is one of the most important aspects
for treating a variety of brain disorders, including ADD/ADHD."
(Interview in Natural Pharmacy, Vol. 4 No. 6, June 00)
Since Amino Acids are broken down
from protein in the process of digestion, and since low levels of
digestive enzymes can inhibit this process, this is yet another reason
to consider adding a digestive enzyme to the regimen.
The connection between the brain
and the stomach is affirmed yet again in the suggestion that
chemical changes in the gut may affect mitochondrial CoQ10 levels,
essential for the proper supply of energy to brain cells. To quote a
relevant report:
| "…Inflammatory bowel disease and MMR might both
trigger the release of cytokines from tissues which share antigens
either with products of injured mucosal cells or with the MMR vaccine.
The antibodies raised against injured mucosal cells could be directed
against any of the many hormones, including serotonin, or nerve
elements in the inflamed gut and which are also present in the brain." |
As I have said so many times before,
when there are therapeutic approaches which threaten no side effects,
which also have the advantage of addressing the problem rather than
the symptoms, and particularly when we are talking about the
sensitivity of the immature system: doesn't it make sense to try these
approaches first before resorting to drugging our children into a
zombie state so that the authorities can deal with them more easily?
I
know this is not put with a high degree of tact, and I know that there
are compelling factors on the side of those asked to face a classroom
of unruly kids every day - but I feel the health of our children has a
higher priority.
Please, if your child is affected in this way,
consider a "first strike" approach of diet, food sensitivity testing
and nutritional supplements.
Ask your Doctor and your child's teacher
to be supportive for a trial period. In the unlikely event of failure,
the other option, after all, will still be there!
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As for the potentially more serious problem of
autism, knowledge and information are power. Read the
reports on the effects of mercury on the system, and consider
signing the
Citizens' petition on the National Autism Associations website.
Scroll down on their page for the petition itself. Make sure the
Government takes the rights steps to protect our children.
If the future of a Nation rests on the abilities
of its children, we are definitely at a crossroads. It is
fortunate that there is a growing instinctive acknowledgment of
the link between children's' mental health and their diet: this
link needs to be strengthened at every turn by informed mentors.
I would challenge the National PTA to become more viscerally
involved in this issue, and instead of taking a
wishy washy laid back approach, (though the
Food pyramid for kids 2 to 12 is a good step) to put it on the line for
parents, along with a scientifically supported synopsis of what
faulty nutrition means to their kids and their destinies.
How about it, PTA??
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