Dear Reader,
Chances are you know of a child on Ritalin or some other prescription drug for “attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD). But did you know that these drugs can keep children from growing normally? Meanwhile, there are plenty of safe, natural ways to help these children that you won’t hear about from the mainstream medical community.
In a recently published study, a team of American scientists discovered that while Ritalin and similar prescription drugs like Adderall and Dexedrine might help some kids in the short term, over a three-year period they had no beneficial effect on their overall behavior . . . and that they can stunt children’s growth.1
So not only are these drugs dangerous, addictive and harmful to normal development – they don’t even work.
I’ve written to you before about the many dangers surrounding ADHD drugs. Not only do they keep kids from growing – studies have shown they can also do long-term damage to young peoples’ developing brains. One study on animals suggested that over the long term Ritalin can cause your child irreversible problems with stress, learning, memory, and appetite.2
The drug companies and the government know how addictive and dangerous these drugs are. That’s why the Drug Enforcement Agency treats them like any other controlled substance, limiting production each year in order to keep young people from using them recreationally.
That doesn’t stop them. In a study published just last year, researchers at Northwestern University found that 75 percent of college kids abused ADHD drugs, often grinding them up and snorting them just like cocaine.3
Those are sobering numbers, especially when you consider that 1.6 million schoolchildren took Ritalin last year.
You’d think all this bad press would be the nail in the coffin for a class of drugs just as powerful as cocaine
or methamphetamines. But if history is any guide, doctors will keep handing them out like candy to our children for years to come. ADHD is still the most commonly diagnosed disorder in children.So here a few easy, safe, and natural ways to bring kid’s “to attention” without endangering their mental and physical health.
The first is simple: ramp up the amount of omega-3 in their diet. A lot of scientific research has found that many children with ADHD don’t get enough omega-3. Cod liver and flax seed oils deliver the two kinds of omega-3s the body needs.
You can also get them to eat more lean meats, eggs, and nuts, preferably free-range, grass-fed and organic. These are all great sources of omega-3.
Pine bark extract is another natural supplement that works. One European study using pycnogenol, an organic compound found in the bark of the French maritime pine tree, showed that after only one month, children’s behavior improved significantly on as little as 1 mg per day.4
Finally, nutritional science has discovered a number of naturally occurring amino acids that are great treatments for ADHD.
One of them is 5-HTP. It’s a precursor to serotonin, one of the chemicals in the brain that relieves anxiety and depression (popular antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro all boost serotonin levels). I recommend 50 to 100 mg three times per day with meals.
Another is tyrosine. It works like 5-HTP, increasing levels of various chemicals in the brain connected to mood and the ability to concentrate. The optimal dose is 5,000 mg per day for children and up to 10,000 mg per day for adults.
These are natural and perfectly safe alternatives with no side effects that I use in my medical practice every day. They aren’t harmful or addictive, and unlike all those ADHD prescription drugs, they actually work. They are easy to find on line or at health food stores.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
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1 Jensen et al, “3-Year Follow-up of the NIMH MTA Study.” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2007. 46(8):989-1002.
2 Gray et al, “Methylphenidate Administration to Juvenile Rats Alters Brain Areas Involved in Cognition, Motivated Behaviors, Appetite, and Stress,” Journal of Neuroscience, 2007, 27(27):7196-7207.
3 Christian et al, “Illicit Use of Specific Prescription Stimulants Among College Students: Prevalence, Motives, and Routes of Administration,” Pharmacotherapy, 2006, 26(10): 1501–1510.
4 Trebatická et al, “Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol.” European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2006. 15(6):329-35.