ADHD is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in children. It is estimated that it affects up to 6-7 percent. of them. The main symptoms – attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity – most affect schoolchildren and have so far been difficult to alleviate. Hope for change is brought by the new findings of American scientists, who claim that the proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals brings a clear improvement. Here are the details of these findings.
- ADHD is not a disease but a disorder, but its symptoms can cause mental as well as physical suffering
- ADHD therapy usually takes place in two ways: by administering drugs and cooperating with a psychologist
- According to the findings of American scientists, improvement can also be obtained in another way: by supplementing with vitamins and minerals in doses that are recommended for the daily and / or upper tolerable level of consumption.
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Vitamins and minerals and ADHD
The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, shows that children of ADHDwho took a supplement with micronutrients, showed an improvement in well-being three times more often compared to the group of people taking placebo (54% vs. 18%).
The study involved 135 children who were not taking any medications. Study participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group received micronutrient capsules for eight weeks, while the second group received a placebo during this time.
«Supplementation with all known vitamins and essential minerals in doses from the recommended daily intake to the upper tolerance limit can improve your mood and concentration in children with ADHD and emotional disorders »concludes Dr. Jeanette Johnstone of Oregon Health & Science University and the Helfgott Research Institute, National University of Natural Medicine, lead author of the study.
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Not only the mood
The clear improvement in well-being was not the only effect of supplementation with capsules rich in vitamins and minerals. In addition to the behavioral and emotional benefits, children taking micronutrients grew 6 mm more than children taking placebo. As Dr. Johnstone explains, this is a very important finding because growth failure is a very common side effect of first-line drugs in the treatment of ADHD in children.
Scientists are full of optimism and, in the results of the study, hope for more effective treatment of children with ADHD. «No treatment is 100%. effective for all with ADHD »says Dr. L. Eugene Arnold, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State University. As an example, he gives statistics that although two-thirds of children respond positively to the first drug used in ADHD, patients experience strong side effects of the preparation. Among the most common are growth and appetite disorders as well as emotional dysregulation. “It is encouraging that a good half of the children have responded to this relatively safe treatment,” commented a recent study.
The scientists’ findings are the first step to understanding how vitamins and minerals can help treat disorders such as ADHD.
«Future research will focus on the mechanisms of action and responses to micronutrients. This will help to understand for whom and why such therapy may be particularly helpful, »explains Dr Johnstone. And he adds: – «The hypotheses analyzed include changes in the gut microbiome and its metabolome, reduction of inflammatory markers (eg cytokines), mineral replenishment and optimization of neurotransmitters. In order to increase the sensitivity of parents to changes in the child’s behavior, we plan to use real-time data reporting methods (…) by means of a telephone or other behavior recording device ».
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