ADHD Causes - Zinc Deficiency
As a parent with a child diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you probably heard a doctor or psychiatrist explain to you that the condition is caused by a lack of certain neurotransmitters, and that medication is the best treatment option for your child.
However, most parents are not aware of how complex this disorder truly is.
ADHD is not caused merely by a lack of neurotransmitters; rather, it develops when specific environmental conditions interact with the genetic predisposition for the disorder.
Hyperactivity and inattention may be the result of a food intolerance, or they could be caused by a deficiency in certain key nutrients and minerals.
A deficiency in the mineral zinc often imitates the basic symptoms of ADHD - inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Other symptoms of zinc deficiency include depression, irritability, lethargy, and mental retardation.
Like iron, zinc plays an important role in regulating the production and activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the brain chemical responsible for emotional response, movement control, and the ability to experience pain and pleasure.
Without enough zinc in the brain, dopamine production goes haywire, resulting in uncontrollable hyperactivity.
Data on the relationship between zinc deficiency and ADHD has been around for years, but the pharmaceutical industry suppresses this information in order to promote the medical mode of treatment.
In 1996, researchers wanted to find out whether children with ADHD had nutritional deficiencies.
They tested two groups.
The first group of children had ADHD, while the second group did not.
What the researchers discovered is that children from the ADHD group had far less zinc than what is needed by the body, whereas the children from the non-ADHD group had normal zinc levels.
The researchers also discovered that the zinc deficiency may be related to a deficiency in serotonin and a hyperadrenal syndrome in the ADHD children.
Both of these possible causes may be responsible for the learning and behavioral problems that plague children with ADHD.
As a follow-up to these findings, researchers from Iran performed clinical trials to determine if zinc supplements will bring any positive effects to children with ADHD.
The double-blind study involved 44 children with ADHD divided into two groups - a zinc group that took 50 mg of zinc sulphate daily, and a placebo group.
After the clinical trial was over, researchers discovered that those from the zinc group met only a few of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, while those from the placebo group showed no improvement.
While more studies are needed to explore the effects of zinc on children with ADHD, these findings show a lot of potential in making zinc supplements an integral part of a holistic treatment for the disorder - especially if a zinc deficiency is behind the symptoms.
Instead of giving your child medications for ADHD, obtain a second opinion from an alternate health care practitioner, who will have your child's blood mineral levels tested to determine if a mineral deficiency is behind the disorder.
This way, you don't end up treating the symptoms; rather, you are eliminating the root cause of the disorder.
Only by eliminating the environmental triggers of the disorder can your child overcome ADHD without the use of drugs.
However, most parents are not aware of how complex this disorder truly is.
ADHD is not caused merely by a lack of neurotransmitters; rather, it develops when specific environmental conditions interact with the genetic predisposition for the disorder.
Hyperactivity and inattention may be the result of a food intolerance, or they could be caused by a deficiency in certain key nutrients and minerals.
A deficiency in the mineral zinc often imitates the basic symptoms of ADHD - inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Other symptoms of zinc deficiency include depression, irritability, lethargy, and mental retardation.
Like iron, zinc plays an important role in regulating the production and activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the brain chemical responsible for emotional response, movement control, and the ability to experience pain and pleasure.
Without enough zinc in the brain, dopamine production goes haywire, resulting in uncontrollable hyperactivity.
Data on the relationship between zinc deficiency and ADHD has been around for years, but the pharmaceutical industry suppresses this information in order to promote the medical mode of treatment.
In 1996, researchers wanted to find out whether children with ADHD had nutritional deficiencies.
They tested two groups.
The first group of children had ADHD, while the second group did not.
What the researchers discovered is that children from the ADHD group had far less zinc than what is needed by the body, whereas the children from the non-ADHD group had normal zinc levels.
The researchers also discovered that the zinc deficiency may be related to a deficiency in serotonin and a hyperadrenal syndrome in the ADHD children.
Both of these possible causes may be responsible for the learning and behavioral problems that plague children with ADHD.
As a follow-up to these findings, researchers from Iran performed clinical trials to determine if zinc supplements will bring any positive effects to children with ADHD.
The double-blind study involved 44 children with ADHD divided into two groups - a zinc group that took 50 mg of zinc sulphate daily, and a placebo group.
After the clinical trial was over, researchers discovered that those from the zinc group met only a few of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, while those from the placebo group showed no improvement.
While more studies are needed to explore the effects of zinc on children with ADHD, these findings show a lot of potential in making zinc supplements an integral part of a holistic treatment for the disorder - especially if a zinc deficiency is behind the symptoms.
Instead of giving your child medications for ADHD, obtain a second opinion from an alternate health care practitioner, who will have your child's blood mineral levels tested to determine if a mineral deficiency is behind the disorder.
This way, you don't end up treating the symptoms; rather, you are eliminating the root cause of the disorder.
Only by eliminating the environmental triggers of the disorder can your child overcome ADHD without the use of drugs.
