8 Nutritional Supplements as Effective as Ritalin for ADHD (Premium)
Research suggests that nutritional supplements can work as effectively as Ritalin for ADHD. This evidence supports the growing consensus that many of the underlying causes of ADHD brain chemistry imbalances are factors such as lead toxicity or nutritional deficiencies, and these factors are often reversible with nutritional interventions.
In this study, the nutritional treatment was based on the work of Charles Gant, MD, PhD. Dr. Gant compiled research on nutrition as it relates to ADHD and found that certain causative “risk factors” clustered around eight areas:
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- food allergies
- thyroid disorders
- amino acid deficiencies
- essential fatty acid deficiencies
- mineral deficiencies
- heavy metal toxicities
- B vitamin deficiencies
- high carbohydrate-low protein diet
Dr. Gant suggests that most ADHD children (and adults) suffer from various combinations of brain starvation (mineral – vitamin deficiencies), brain poisoning (lead and toxic metals), or metabolic abnormalities (thyroid disorders), all of which can be discovered by laboratory tests of the blood, hair, and/or stool.
Dr. Gant commented, “When a child’s brain has been poisoned with lead, or is reacting to food allergies, or is starving for essential fats, protein or zinc, why cover up symptoms with a worrisome drug? The child’s brain needs to have the lead removed, the food allergies neutralized, and the deficiencies for essential fatty acids, protein, and zinc replenished so that the symptoms can be resolved at their roots.”
Two groups of ten children, all of whom were diagnosed with ADHD by a clinical child psychologist, were treated with either Ritalin or nutritional supplements to address the eight nutritional or toxicity risk factor areas. Nutritional supplementation consisted of:
- a multiple vitamin,
- a multiple mineral,
- phytonutrients,
- essential fatty acids (fish oil),
- phospholipids (soy lecithin),
- probiotics (acidophilus),
- detoxifying supplements,
- and amino acids.
Both groups showed statistically valid and similar improvements, but the nutritionally supplemented treatment group did not suffer the side effects commonly experienced by children treated with Ritalin and other stimulant medication. Harding K, Judah R, Gant C (2003) Altern Med Rev;2003 8(3):319-330.
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