ADHD IS ON THE RISE...

ADHD IS ON THE RISE, are we overmedicating an issue that could be caused by diet? YES!!

In the last 20 years we have seen an increase in ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) from around 6% to 10% in children and adolescents (1).

Many experts are questioning why this is happening, in terms of overdiagnosis. But few are considering the long term damage (which is currently poorly understood) of using medications for ADHD on our young people.

Stimulating medication like Ritalin, can slow growth in children, cause abnormal heart rhythms, lead to excessive emotional distress and aggression or a lack of feeling and addictive behaviour, and a temporary lack of blood supply to the brain among dozens of other symptoms (2).

What I'd like to see more discussion on is - do they actually have ADHD or are they being misdiagnosed and mistreated, without getting to the CAUSE? A study on dietary elimination indicates that the diet is key (3).

In the new study, children with ADHD were put on a ‘restricted elimination diet’ – containing only rice, meat, vegetables, pears and water – for five weeks. The authors found that ADHD symptoms were reduced in 78% of children placed on the diet. And the significant improvements were lost by 63% of whom relapsed on the re-introduction of excluded foods.

This suggests that there could be significant benefits (for a variety of reasons) if parents were encouraged simply to provide more structured diets for their ADHD children, excluding highly processed foods and drinks (which often have little or no nutritional value in any case). This would also be likely to benefit their general health.

Assisting people with ADHD in their individual dietary needs and eliminations is a key part a consultation with me. But we also consider many other factors that could be driving the symptoms of ADHD, and therefore its treatment.

If you would like to book in a consultation with me, simply send me a message - I'd be delighted to help!

BOOK A CONSULTATION

Shine bright,

Nic

References:

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6324288/

2. https://www.sporty.co.nz/asset/downloadasset...

3. https://library.fabresearch.org/viewItem.php?id=7244...