A piece of research (1) recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has concluded that “The long-term treatment outcome shows that stimulants are effective in adult ADHD and side effects tend to be mild”. The most common treatment for anyone, children and adults, diagnosed as suffering with ADHD are strong, psychostimulant drugs (e.g. Ritalin®, Adderall® and Dexedrine®). Some of these drugs closely resemble amphetamines and they often have unpleasant side effects. I, and many others, strongly believe that there are natural, alternative, ways of treating this condition under medical supervision. It is my wish and great desire that children and adults suffering with ADHD are offered the option of trying natural treatments before being offered drugs for their symptoms. Currently many doctors do not offer an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs which is a great shame since a wealth of scientific and practical evidence exists to indicate that ADHD is treatable through non-pharmaceutical means.
I have written about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children previously. It is estimated that between 30% and 70% of children with ADHD continue to exhibit symptoms in the adult years (2). My previous posts on ADHD are relevant, I believe, to both children and adults and certainly worth reading for further information.
ADHD has three fundamental groups of symptoms: Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity
INATTENTION:
*Difficulty following a set of tasks/instructions
*Difficulty completing activities
*Changing activities frequently, inability to concentrate on one activity for a prolonged period
*Difficulty completing homework tasks
*Difficulty reading a book for more than a page or two
*Making mistakes due to an inability to pay enough attention to a task or to details
*Easily distracted
*Difficulty organising tasks
*Forgetful
HYPERACTIVITY
*Difficulty sitting still
*Constant fidgeting
*Almost constant physical activity
* Moving around when inappropriate, causing disruption in classrooms or the workplace
*Fast speech which is difficult to interrupt
*Feeling persistently restless
*Difficulty working quietly
IMPULSIVITY
*Interrupting others inappropriately
*Difficulty waiting e.g. in a queue
Conventional treatment options typically involve behaviour therapy and/or medication. However there are some medical professionals such as Professor Basant Puri,who I have mentioned previously in my blogs, who strongly believe that individuals with ADHD can be helped through changes in diet and with specific tailored nutritional supplementation regimens. Professor Basant Puri lectured me as part of my MSc course, he is a psychiatrist who uses nutrition with many of his patients. He has seen fabulous results using the long chain omega 3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) in patients with ADHD, depression and Chronic Fatigue syndrome. Professor Puri has written a book (3) “Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A natural way to treat ADHD” which is widely available to buy and certainly worth a read. In it he writes about ADHD, what it is, what causes it and how nutrition can help.
The book (3) has a large focus on the long omega 3 fatty acid EPA, found naturally in oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines. I wrote about omega 3 fatty acids for ADHD here. Omega 3 fats are important for a number of health reasons and individuals who do not regularly eat oily fish (at least twice per week) may well benefit from a fish oil supplement. There is no consensus on the dose of omega 3 fats necessary for optimal health. In ADHD up to 1000mg EPA has been used daily which is a large amount. I would suggest checking with your GP or medical doctor prior to starting any supplementation regimen.
Any dietary interventions recommended for ADHD need to be closely monitored. Dietary interventions are to be viewed as complementary to any other management approaches. A single nutritional intervention does not exist. Individual cases need individually tailored treatment.
Although the medical study (1) mentioned in the start of the post did state that the best treatment of ADHD should go beyond medications to include a team of caregivers who understand the disorder such as psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists there was no specific mention of diet and lifestyle being helpful which seems a shame considering the now accumulated evidence for nutritional help in ADHD. If you are suffering with ADHD to may be worth speaking to your GP to see if they will work with you and a registered nutritionist or registered nutritional therapist.
There are two websites where you can search for registered practitioners in your area:
1) The UK voluntary resister of nutritionists
2) The British association for applied nutrition and nutritional therapy
(1)Susanne Bejerot S et al. 2010. Two-Year Outcome of Treatment With Central Stimulant Medication in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Prospective Study. J Clin Psychiatry. 10.4088/JCP.09m05168purOnline ahead of print: June 1, 2010
(3) Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A natural way to treat ADHD. Professor Basant K. Puri. 2005. Hammersmith Press Ltd. ISBN 1-905140-01-0
Written by Ani Kowal
Related posts:
- Unhealthy ‘Western’ style diet linked to ADHD
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be associated with low folate levels during pregnancy
- Can essential fatty acids help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
- Study finds that special diets may be helpful for children with ADHD
- Omega 3 fats during pregnancy are important for memory function of children
