ADHD and Nutritional Deficiency
I read an interesting article today about “Nutritional deficiencies: An Overlooked cause of ADHD” by James Greenblatt MD, a Chief Medical Officer and VP of Waldon Behavioural care in the US
Historically the medical profession has dismissed any relationship between nutrition and ADHD. The world is now waking up to and embracing the need for a balanced and healthy lifestyle in order for our brains to perform at their best.
According to Dr Greenblatt there was a recent scientific paper in Pediatrics in the AAP Journal that states “A healthy dietary pattern” for children with ADHD and presumably other neuro Diverse children is “the most promising and practical complimentary or alternative treatment of ADHD”
It can be very challenging to encourage ADHD kids to eat a healthy diet. My daughter also has sensory issues, as many ADHD children do, is a very fussy eater and attempting to establish a consistent healthy diet can drive both parent and child into a spiral of arguments.
Dr Greenblatt goes on to say that “30 years of experience treating thousands of kids with ADHD has shown me that detecting and treating specific nutritional imbalances is often a necessary step to controlling ADHD symptoms”
He goes on to state that unbelievably “9 out of 10” ADHD children are low in Magnesium and by “supplementing the diet with this mineral can improve focus, ease anxiety, deepen sleep and even reduce or eliminate the side affects of ADHD drugs.”
Dr Greenblatt is also interested in the role of vitamin B in ADHD children and he sites that some Norwegian researchers tested the blood of 133 adults with ADHD and 133 adults without ADHD.
He goes on to say that “those diagnosed with the disorder had lower levels of B2, B6 and B9 and those with very severe symptoms had the lowest level.” Dr Greenblatt was not surprised by this result and he states vitamin B has been used for ADHD since the 70’s. I don’t know about you but supplements or levels of vitamins and minerals has not been discussed with me by my daughter’s medical advisors.
When B6 is low the body is unable to make enough neurotransmitters which are required for communication between brain cells. The relevant neurotransmitters are Dopamine and Serotonin which affect mood, and GABA which is shown to have a calming effect.
B6 also helps magnesium to work and which Dr Greenblatt says “is a must for kids with ADHD” he goes on to add that B6 “is so essential to the formation of neurotransmitters that the health of the brain that ADHD could be considered a pyridoxine dependent condition caused by an inborn genetic disorder of vitamin B6 metabolism”
Cognitively Focus For Kids contains Magnesium, B6 & B12 amongst many other ingredients.
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The information provided in this blog is for discussion purposes and does not substitute for professional medical advice.
