Cause: Unknown.

Useful Supplements: Evening Primrose Oil, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Zinc.

Useful Herbs:

Further information: ADD and ADHD diagnoses have been appearing in increasing numbers over the past decade. While the exact cause of this disorder is unknown, the symptoms are easily recognized: distractibility, lack of attention, inability to focus on mental activities, uncontrolled physical movement, and inappropriate impulsive behavior. The results of these behaviors can be far-reaching: inability to interact in social situations, poor school or career performance, and increased violent behavior as a result of frustration.

ADHD appears more often in males than females, and can be diagnosed as early as age three. A proper diagnosis should be performed by trained medical professionals, however; many people are quick to give an unqualified opinion that ADD is the problem with any active, physical child.

While there are no known preventive measures, some groups have shown a higher concentration of ADHD. Children of smokers appear more likely to exhibit ADHD symptoms.¹ Similarly, children who have an early exposure to lead² and other heavy metals.³

Many children and adults with ADD respond positively to dietary changes, bringing forth the possibility that ADHD is exacerbated by food sensitivities. The most effective diet appears to be the Feingold diet, which removes salicylates (found in aspirin and many foods) from the diet. This appears to be highly effective in decreasing the symptoms of ADHD in many children,⁴ and as many as 25% of all children appear to be sensitive to salicylates.⁵

Food allergies also appear to make the symptoms of ADHD more pronounced. Food dyes, especially tartrazine (yellow), are a major allergen.⁶ Artificial food additives also have been shown to make ADHD more pronounced in children.⁷ A controlled diet can often improve children enough that further medication is not necessary to control their ADHD.⁸

Sugar is also thought to make ADHD more pronounced,⁹ but some studies do not agree with this result.¹⁰ Since large amounts of sugar are generally not healthy, avoiding it is a good idea, whether it affects the ADHD symptoms or not.

Allergies do not seem to have any great effect on ADHD in adults, so these diets do not appear to help as often as they do for children.

The following supplements have been shown to help in the treatment of ADHD:

Evening Primrose Oil has been used in some patients with ADHD.¹¹ This is given because a deficiency of fatty acids is often seen in children with ADHD.¹² However, there does not appear to be a long-term improvement due to the use of Evening Primrose Oil.

Magnesium levels are often low in ADHD patients. The addition of a magnesium supplement to the diet appears to reduce hyperactivity.¹³

Vitamin B6 deficiency has been seen in many ADHD patients.¹⁴ While not always effective alone,¹⁵ B6 taken in conjunction with Ritalin (a commonly used prescription medication for the treatment of ADHD) has often been shown effective.¹⁶ Care should be taken, however, as high levels of B6 can be toxic.¹⁷

Zinc deficiency is also seen in many children with ADHD.¹⁸ No studies have been done on the effects of adding Zinc supplements to the diet, however.

References:

¹Milberger S, Biederman J, Faraone SV, et al. Is maternal smoking during pregnancy a risk factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children? Am J Psych 1996;153:1138–42.
²Tuthill RW. Hair lead levels related to children’s classroom attention-deficit behavior. Arch Environ Health 1996;51:214–20.
³Krigman MR, Bouldin TW, Mushak P. Metal toxicity in the nervous system. Monogr Pathol 1985;(26):58–100.
⁴Levy F, Dumbrell S, Hobbes G, et al. Hyperkinesis and diet: A double-blind crossover trial with a tartrazine challenge. Med J Aust 1978;1:61–64.
⁵Williams JI, Cram DM. Diet in the management of hyperkinesis: A review of the tests of Feingold’s hypotheses. Can Psychiatr Assoc J 1978;23:241–48 [review].
⁶Rowe KS, Rowe KJ. Synthetic food coloring and behavior: A dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study. J Pediatr 1994;125:691–98.
⁷Boris M, Mandel FS. Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children. Ann Allergy 1994;72:462–68.
⁸Egger J, Stolla A, McEwen LM. Controlled trial of hyposensitisation in children with food-induced hyperkinetic syndrome. Lancet 1992;339:1150–53.
⁹Wolraich ML, Lindgren SD, Stumbo PJ, et al. Effects of diets high in sucrose or aspartame on the behavior and cognitive performance of children. N Engl J Med 1994;330:301–7.
¹⁰Wolraich ML, Wilson DB, White JW. The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. A meta-analysis. JAMA 1995;274:1617–21.
¹¹Aman MG, Mitchell EA, Turbott SH. The effects of essential fatty acid supplementation by Efamol in hyperactive children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 1987;15:75–90.
¹Mitchell EA, Aman MG, Turbott SH, Manku M. Clinical characteristics and serum essential fatty acid levels in hyperactive children. Clin Pediatr 1987;26:406–11.
¹³Starobrat-Hermelin B, Kozielec T. The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Positive response to magnesium oral loading test. Magnesium Research 1997;10(2):149-56.
¹⁴Bhagavan HN, Coleman M, Coursin DB. The effect of pyridoxine hydrochloride on blood serotonin and pyridoxal phosphate contents in hyperactive children. Pediatrics 1975;55:437–41.
¹⁵Haslam RHA. Is there a role for megavitamin therapy in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? Adv Neurol 1992;58:303–10.
¹⁶Coleman M, Steinberg G, Tippett J, et al. A preliminary study of the effect of pyridoxine administration in a subgroup of hyperkinetic children: A double-blind crossover comparison with methylphenidate. Biol Psych 1979;14:741–51.
¹⁷Schaumburg H, Kaplan J, Windebank A, et al. Sensory neuropathy from pyridoxine abuse. N Engl J Med 1983;309(8):445–48.
¹⁸Bekarolu M, et al. Relationships between serum-free fatty acids and zinc, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a research note. J Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1996;37(2):225-7.