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[Attention deficit and infantile hyperactivity]
1Universitat de Barcelona.
Insights
Complementary medicine offers natural ADHD treatments for children, focusing on diet and supplements. Avoiding certain foods and adding PUFA lipids, vitamins, minerals, and herbs can help manage hyperactivity symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Psychiatry
- Complementary Medicine
Background:
- Hyperactivity, a common childhood disorder (especially in males), is recognized as a clinical syndrome.
- Diagnosed via 10 symptoms, it's characterized by impulsivity, distraction, and hyperactivity.
- Psychiatric medication poses significant risks for children, prompting interest in alternative treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) strategies for managing childhood hyperactivity.
- To identify dietary factors and supplements that may influence hyperactivity.
- To review the potential benefits of herbal medicine for this condition.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of dietary influences, vitamin/mineral supplementation, and herbal remedies for hyperactivity.
- Analysis of foods and additives that may exacerbate symptoms.
- Identification of beneficial nutrients and botanicals.
Main Results:
- Dietary changes, including avoiding sugar, sweeteners, additives, and dyes, can reduce hyperactivity incidence.
- Supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) shows preventive potential.
- Vitamins (B complex), minerals (magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium), and herbs (passionflower, valerian, lemon balm) are beneficial.
Conclusions:
- Complementary medicine offers viable alternatives to traditional treatments for childhood hyperactivity.
- Dietary modifications and targeted supplementation are key strategies.
- Herbal remedies provide additional support for managing symptoms.
Abstract:
Hyperactivity is a very common disorder in children (specially males) that today is considered as a clinical syndrome by scientific medicine. American Psychiatric Association establishes 10 symptoms to diagnose it, but they can be resumed in three characteristics: Impulsivity, Distraction, and Hyperactivity. There are different ways to treat it, but psychiatric medication has major risks in children. From complementary medicine we can find several aids in changing diet patterns and supplementing with vitamins or minerals. Chocolate, sugar, sweeteners, additives, preservatives, dyes, can enhance the incidence of this syndrome; instead the supplementation with lipids rich in PUFA's can prevent it. B complex vitamins, magnesium, copper, manganese or calcium can be interesting and in herbal medicine, sedative plants like passion flower, valerian or lemon balm are useful aids. Also liquorice, fennel and berries can be used for different physiological actions.