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According to the journal Diabetes Care (October 2001;24:1745-1750),low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia can create a poor attention span. Healthy people can become hypoglycemic (transiently) by skipping a meal. The brain uses glucose (sugar) as its main source of fuel. Denying yourself food can lower glucose levels and make it hard for the brain to pay […]

Twenty children took part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in theAmerican Journal of Psychiatry (2006; 163(6): 1098-100). The subjects were divided into two groups; one group was given omega-3 supplementation (a combination of EPA and DHA) and the second group was given a placebo. The children were evaluated using the Children’s Depression Scale, Children’s

The AppletonCentralAlternativeHigh School in Appleton, Wisconsin was established in 1996 for “problem” students that did not fit well into a traditional high school setting. Students were described as “rude, obnoxious, and ill-mannered” by their own dean of students. Problems with discipline were severe enough that a policeman had to be on campus at all times.

A 16-week study appearing in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology (2007; 17(6): 791-802) involved 112 children with ADHD and supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine. The children were given either a placebo or the supplement; dosage was based on the child’s weight. Acetyl L-carnitine was found to be beneficial for the subjects with the inattentive type

An article appearing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (2001 Nov 27;165(11):1475-88) did a meta-analysis of all of the research done on methylphenidate use in subjects under the age of 18 (Ritalin is a brand name, methylphenidate is the chemical name) between 1981 and 1999. The authors searched several electronic sources for articles published between

In June, 2005 the FDA issued warnings about drugs used to treat ADD and ADHD. The drugs in question are called methylphenidates this includes drugs like Ritalin, and Concerta. The concern that the drugs may produce psychiatric side-effects, including visual hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, aggression, violent behavior or psychotic behavior, prompted the action. In February, 2005,

A commentary appearing in Family Practice News, November 1, 1995, points out that physicians are inappropriately using Ritalin to diagnose ADHD. Patients are given a stimulant and, if they respond to it, it is assumed that they had ADHD. The author points out that people who do not have ADD or ADHD will often have

Some studies have shown diet to be beneficial for patients with ADHD. The New Zeland Medical Journal (July 26, 1978;616(88):43-45) published a small study where 10 children were put on a low allergen, Feingold-type diet. They avoided processed foods, additives, and salicyclate-containing foods (like berries, almonds, apples, plums, tomatoes). Five of the children improved, and

Various nutritional approaches may help ADHD. Nutrition remains controversial because scientific studies, by their very nature, look at a single constituent. The paradigm in medicine is to try to find a “cure”, one thing that fixes the symptom. There is an inherent flaw in this way of thinking because it assumes that any health problem

There is an association between ADHD and other behavioral disorders and low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Research appearing in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (Volume 75, Issues 4-5, October-November 2006, Pages 299-308) looked at omega-3 levels in red blood cell and in plasma phospholipids. Symptoms associated with essential fatty acid deficiency