| As a parent of two children with ADHD and a | | | | that are kid friendly. My children take a little |
| health care provider, I am always on the lookout | | | | orange flavored pudding like product that packs a |
| for ancillary lifestyle and nutritional treatments that | | | | walloping 600mg of omega-3 into a little pouch. I |
| will improve their ADHD symptoms. A new study, | | | | buy these cheaply from but many children's |
| completed in England this month, has established | | | | omega-3 vitamins are now available at your local |
| that a regimen pill consisting of micronutrients | | | | supermarket. |
| significantly improves ADHD symptoms. | | | | I have found several recent studies that report |
| Results of this study were recently published in | | | | great improvement for hyperactivity using Zinc |
| the Journal of Attention Disorders. We are just | | | | supplements at a dose of 12-15mgs and children |
| now learning that vitamins play a significant role in | | | | taking a zinc vitamin daily, required less Ritalin than |
| gene expression and that vitamins can turn | | | | untreated children according to another study. |
| certain disease genes 'on' and 'off'. We have | | | | Zinc is found in red meat, lamb, oysters, crab |
| known for years that the presence or absence of | | | | meat and shell fish. My kids do not eat much red |
| ADHD symptoms is in large part related to your | | | | meat or shell fish. I love oysters but my kids |
| genes and that the severity of these symptoms | | | | think that this food looks like something that no |
| may change considerably depending on your diet | | | | human should eat. Since they will not be jumping |
| and nutrition. | | | | on the oyster band wagon anytime soon, I feel |
| For many years patients and parents have | | | | that it is essential that their diet be supplemented |
| anecdotally reported improvement in attention and | | | | with a vitamin that contains Zinc. |
| hyperactivity using vitamins and minerals but this | | | | I have recently switched the multivitamin that my |
| new study is one of the first to establish an | | | | kids take to a Children's Complete Multivitamin and |
| effect from a multitude of vitamins on the | | | | Mineral Chewable, as these have 75% of the daily |
| symptoms of ADHD. | | | | suggested requirement for Zinc. Children's vitamins |
| Nutritionist have long warned us of the dangers of | | | | come in a million varieties but most do not contain |
| not eating a balanced diet. Children today are at | | | | this much zinc (12 mg) so make sure to look at |
| risk for a number of nutritional deficiencies | | | | your vitamin label. Vitamin supplements may hold |
| including deficiencies in Omega-3 fatty acids, | | | | the answer to minimizing our children's ADHD |
| deficiencies in iron, and deficiencies in zinc. Fish is | | | | symptoms. Chewable multivitamins are safe and |
| the biggest source of Omega-3 but my children | | | | readily available. Every parent should add a high |
| refuse to eat it. The journal Pharmacotherapy | | | | quality vitamin to their children's diet. |
| published an update in June of 2009 where they | | | | Effect of Micronutrients on Behavior and Mood in |
| reviewed the available nutritional treatment for | | | | Adults with ADHD: Evidence from an 8-Week |
| ADHD and concluded that "Polyunsaturated fatty | | | | Open Label Trial with Natural Extension. |
| acids (fish oil), and iron supplements (for youth | | | | Rucklidge J, Taylor M, Whitehead K. J Atten |
| with low ferritin levels) show promise in improving | | | | Disord. 2010 Jan 13. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: |
| ADHD symptoms." | | | | 20071638 [PubMed - as supplied by publish |
| Studies on patients with ADHD have found these | | | | Pharmacotherapy. 2009 Jun;29(6):656-79. |
| patients to be deficient in Omega-3. Luckily today, | | | | Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder: an update. |
| there are several varieties of Omega-3 vitamins | | | | |