To Your Health
August, 2019 (Vol. 13, Issue 08) |
|
|
Treat ADHD the Natural Way
By Editorial Staff
Prescription medication is one of the primary treatment options for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly in children over the age of 6. But what if parents could bypass medication altogether and give their ADHD-affected children a natural treatment instead? Welcome to micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) supplementation, which research suggests is as effective as medication for reducing ADHD symptoms - and without the potential side effects of drug treatment.
A new study published in the
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology compared micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) supplementation with medication or no intervention in nearly 100 children with ADHD. After 10 weeks, children were evaluated for the following 52 weeks to assess how each intervention impacted symptoms, and which intervention proved dominant (in other words, whether the child continued taking supplements, medication, etc.).
More children who continued taking micronutrient supplements (84 percent) were identified as "much" or "very much" improved in terms of their symptoms, compared to only 50 percent of children taking medication (and only 21 percent of children who discontinued treatment altogether). The micronutrient group also had better parent-rated hyperactivity and anxiety scores, and clinician-rated general function and mood, compared to the medication group.
Last, but certainly not least, while children who continued with micronutrient therapy experienced no side effects, children who continued with medication or switched to medication were more likely to experience side effects including deterioration in mood and anxiety, according to the study authors.
So, which treatment option would you choose if your child had (or has) ADHD? Medication with potential side effects - or natural vitamin and mineral supplementation that's more effective and less risky in terms of side effects? Now that's a no-brainer.
