ADHD drugs: Replacing with a diet and nutritional approach

The Kids are Alright

ADHD drugs such as Ritalin are responsible for more than 3,000 emergency room visits each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That recent announcement comes on the heels of a February 2006 FDA advisory panel recommendation that stimulant drugs for ADHD should have a black box warning to let users know that these drugs can prompt serious heart problems. An FDA report notes that between 1999 and 2003, 25 people died after beginning treatment with the drug – 19 of them were children.

FDA panel member and Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Steven Nissen, M.D., told the New York Times: “I have grave concerns about the use of these drugs and grave concerns about the harm they may cause.”

These developments must give pause to any adult who uses ADHD drugs and any parent who gives one of these drugs to their child before school each day.

So – why not try a safer, nutrient-based approach that might smooth out the edges of hyperactivity, minimize attention problems, and benefit overall health?

Fish down under

Young research scientist Natalie Sinn appears to have a very promising future.

The University of South Australia Ph.D. candidate recently won a prestigious Australian science award for leading a placebo controlled, double blind intervention study. Sinn and her team enrolled more than 130 children, aged 7 to 12, who were all diagnosed with ADHD.

STUDY ABSTRACT

• For 30 weeks, about half the group received 3 grams per day of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 from fish oil and omega-6 from evening primrose oil), along with a multivitamin (including vitamin E) and mineral supplement
• Half the group received a placebo for 15 weeks, then began receiving the same supplementation as the intervention group for the remaining 15 weeks
• At 15 weeks, and again at 30 weeks, parents were asked to complete Connor’s Parent Rating Scales, a method that judges ADHD severity with 14 assessment scales
• After the first 15 weeks, parents of children in the intervention group reported significantly higher improvements compared to reports from placebo group parents
• Areas of improvements included inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, behavioral problems and cognitive problems
• After 30 weeks, the original intervention group continued to improve their scores significantly in 10 out of 14 scales, while the original placebo group showed a marked improvement in scores as well

Overall, the vocabulary of the children also improved over 30 weeks. Sinn told NutraIngredients that previous fish oil studies showed improved reading ability in children with learning difficulties.

Sinn also noted that there is currently no evidence that ADHD medications provide benefits beyond four weeks, “whereas, in the present trial, symptoms continued to improve after 15 weeks of supplementation.”

Upping the oil

In his experience in treating hyperactive children, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., has had good results with essential fatty acids (EFA). In the e-Alert “How to Dismantle an ’89 Ford” (6/3/02), he wrote: “Most ADHD kids have deficient diets, and essential fatty acids (important for proper nerve formation and conduction) are often undersupplied. Fish oil supplements, along with extra vitamin E to assist in its metabolism, can be very helpful.”

When I asked Dr. Spreen for his take on the dosage used in this study, he told me that three grams is a good starting point.

Dr. Spreen: “For a 12 year-old I’d make that my minimum, maybe going more for 6 grams/day (as an aside I’d probably go a little heavier on the omega 3 and lighter on the omega 6, but that’s another story).

“Even a 9 yr-old should have at least 3 caps/day, and work up from there. EFA is dose-related (unlike micronutrients like manganese, say, that are involved in ultra-low-dose enzymatic requirements).

“The vitamin E counteracts free-radical formation from unsaturated oils (funny how all the hoopla about unsaturated fats seems to ignore that), so for an almost-teenager I’d include at least 400 IU of mixed tocopherols. I’d also add 100 mcg of selenium.

“The only ‘toxicity’ of fish oil is fish taste/breath.”

Of course, parents should discuss the use of supplements with their child’s doctor before starting a fish oil regimen.

For more insights from Dr. Spreen about how to address ADHD with nutritional modifications, you can find the e-Alert “How to Dismantle an ’89 Ford” at this link:
http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200206/ea20020603.html

Sources:
“More Support for Omega-3 Calming ADHD Kids” NutraIngredients, 6/22/06, nutraingredients.com