Does your child have a Ritalin deficiency???? Do you have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) ?
The alternative approach to ADD, ADHD and Adult ADD is quite different than what you will find in the traditional medical office. In the medical office, you will receive drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin. In alternative medicine, you will likely be tested for such things as food allergy and treated with non-prescription yet equally effective food supplements and dietary modification. Though Adderall and Ritalin have their place with attention deficit disorder, you will find them to be greatly over-prescribed as we will discuss below. Please also visit our Headlines and News.
The discussion to follow focuses on childhood ADHD. Adult ADD and adult ADHD are similar in nature and the principles you read below apply to the adult ADD and adult ADHD sufferer as well.
If we were to subscribe to the current medical thinking, children who suffer from ADD ADHD are all deficient in Ritalin. Of course, we know this to be absurd. But, if they’re not deficient, what is the CAUSE of this pervasive developmental disorder? What is happening with a culture such as ours where prescriptions for the drug increased 600 percent in the decade of the 90′s and in some schools 20% of the students are medicated with it? The US consumes five times more Ritalin that rest of the world combined.
The chemical composition of Ritalin is that of an amphetamine or “speed”, very close in structure to cocaine. It has become an easily obtainable drug of abuse. It is in the top 10 controlled drugs stolen from pharmacies and doctor’s offices. Children sell their medication to classmates who crush and snort it like cocaine. There is even some controversial evidence that prescription Ritalin use may contribute to long term juvenile delinquency and illegal drug abuse.
It is not our purpose here to discredit Ritalin but rather to put things in perspective. In some cases it is the only choice. Happily, there are excellent alternatives to Ritalin that most physicians are not aware of. Our purpose here is to stimulate your thinking to the possibility that our society is not correcting the cause of ADD ADHD but rather is simply drugging it into submission.
With that said, let’s address the known contributing causes of ADD ADHD. Those known causes, any of which may singularly or in combination with others contribute to development of ADD ADHD include:
Food Allergies Improper Diet Mineral Deficiencies
Fatty Acid Deficiencies Amino Acid Deficiencies Vitamin Deficiencies
Yeast Overgrowth Food Additives Lead Toxicity
Poor Parenting Social Factors Antibiotic Overuse
Over-consumption of sugar and junk foods
Of the list above, the most commonly overlooked by physicians, educators, and parents are food allergies, yeast overgrowth, antibiotic overuse and improper diet. If you would like to see if your child may be experiencing any of these problems, you can complete an online Comprehensive Health Assessment for your child. In our clinical experience the information gained from the assessment has been a valuable yet inexpensive way for parents to uncover hidden contributing factors their child\’s ADD/ADHD. The web site for the assessment is listed at the end of this ADD/ADHD section.
Food Allergy and ADD ADHD and Adult ADD
There are two sets of symptoms whereby allergies and specifically food allergies manifest themselves in children. The two sets are “tension” and “fatigue”. Combined, they are referred to as the “Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome”. Almost invariably, these children will exhibit a pale “washed out” skin color, dark circles under the eyes and stuffy, runny nose, Many times they will also exhibit sweating, stomach aches, leg aches, headaches and bed wetting.
The “tension” symptoms include hyperactivity, clumsiness, poor dexterity, inability to relax, oversensitivity, insomnia, and sensitivity to light and noise. The “fatigue” symptoms include tiredness, achiness, sluggishness, inability to concentrate and irrational behavior. These symptoms can all, in one way or another, be a result of food allergies.
The most common offending foods are all dairy products, yeast, wheat, corn, soy, citrus, eggs, chocolate, peanuts, artificial colors, flavoring, and preservatives.
Food Additives and ADD ADHD
The pioneering research relating ADD to food additives was done by Dr. Ben Feingold. He found that in some cases food additives, preservatives and colorings will trigger ADD/ADHD. You can read packaging labels and eliminate all additives from your child’s diet and watch to see if there is an improvement. If you observe improvement after four or five days, you can then add back the additives one by one, one day at a time and see which one(s) causes a return of hyperactivity. There are thousands of additives and not all are clearly identified which makes your job of identification really complicated. Sometimes the food label will simply say “coloring” or “flavoring”. This makes your job of identification more difficult. Otherwise, look for terms such as “yellow no. 5″, “BHA” or “BHT”. Any big word on a label which you don’t recognize is probably a chemical additive. If you find additives to be a problem you may want to see a physician who specializes in desensitizing children of allergies of this type.
Lead
Surprisingly, even in this day of lead free paint and gasoline, lead is still a common toxic metal in our environment. In fact, some states even recommend that all children be tested for lead. Children put things in their mouths and we sometimes don’t recognize the potential lead exposure. The main sources are:
* Paint applied before 1977
* Auto exhaust in areas near highways
* Soil near highways
* Galvanized water pipes in older homes (This is a MAJOR source of heavy metal intoxication, not only lead but cadmium and others).
* Industrial sources such as battery factories, lead smelters, etc.
* Metal jewelry of all types contain surprising amounts of lead
* Hobbies utilizing lead such as fishing sinkers and bullets
Long term lead toxicity can be tested by a simple hair analysis. Lead poisoning is detected by urine or blood testing. Any alternative medicine practitioner will know how to do these tests for you. It is important to know that urine and blood testing are only accurate in cases of more recent lead exposure. Only the hair will disclose longer term toxicity. Many traditional physicians don’t understand this difference so you may have to see an alternative medicine or environmental physician to test your child. Confirmation of heavy metal toxicity is done by what is called a “challenge” test.Please see the Toxic Metals page of this site for further details.
Diet and Food Supplements
There have been several studies which showed that children with ADD/ADHD have low levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are a form of fat found primarily in ocean fish oil and flax seed oil. Other studies found that when supplemented with omega 3′s ADD/ADHD children improved in their symptoms. Please see Recommended Supplements below.
Diets low in allergenic foods and supplemented with calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins, especially vitamin B6, gave a favorable response in hyperactive children as reported in the Lancet medical journal. However, I strongly recommend that you pursue the yeast, toxins and allergens potential before rushing out and starting your child on these supplements. Try to identify the CAUSE first.
There is emerging scientific evidence that “chemical imbalance” can be a problem. This involves the neurotransmitters of the nervous system including serotonin and others. If there is a neurotransmitter problem it can be treated with non-prescription amino acid therapy. Ask your alternative medicine physician about this if everything else fails.
Yeast
Please see the Yeast and Candidiasis pages of the web site for details on this very important factor. Of all the causal factors discussed above, yeast probably is the most commonly involved with ADD/ADHD.
Resources
A Comprehensive Health Assessment is an appropriate self-assessment for persons suspected of having ADHD or Adult ADD. It will give you invaluable assistance in determining whether factors such as yeast or food allergies are playing a role in your ADD ADHD or Adult ADD. We strongly recommend and support this assessment. It has been very helpful in our ability to guide our patients to recovery from ADD ADHD.
The Feingold Association, 127 E. Main #106, Riverhead, NY 11901, 899-321-3287.
Books
Why Your Child is Hyperactive, Ben Feingold, Random House
No More Ritalin, Mary Ann Block, Kensington Publishing Corp.
Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD, William Shaw, order at 913-342-8949
Biomedical Assessment Options for Children with Autism and Related Problems, A manual for physicians available from the Autism Research Institute www.autism.com/ari
Books by Dr. William Crook order at 907-660-5027
Yeasts and How They Make You Sick
Ritalin Alternatives
The Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, A Compendium This is a collection of scientific literature published on the subject available from the International Health Foundation, Inc., Box 3494, Jackson, TN 38303-3494. Cost $25.00
Recommended Supplements
Listed below are supplements we recommend for our patients with ADHD. Metagenics sells pharmaceutical-grade nutrition products not available in stores. They are available only through healthcare providers. Products we commonly recommend for this condition include:
EPA/DHA Liquid
UltraCare for Kids (Ask for the Parent’s Guide to be included)
Multigenics Chewable
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
OTHER ADD ADHD RELATED PAGES OF THIS WEB SITE
Food Allergy
Hypoglycemia Treatment
Yeast and Candidiasis
Metal Toxicity
