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The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with attention deficit
B Starobrat-Hermelin1, T Kozielec
1Department of Family Medicine, Pomeranian Medical Academy, Szczecin, Poland.
Insights
Magnesium supplementation significantly reduced hyperactivity in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who had diagnosed magnesium deficiency. This dietary intervention offers a promising approach for managing ADHD symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Nutritional Psychiatry
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) poses significant risks to children's emotional, social, and educational development.
- Existing ADHD therapies are not universally effective, highlighting the need for alternative or complementary treatments.
- Dietary factors, particularly magnesium deficiency, are implicated in the etiology and manifestation of ADHD symptoms like hyperactivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of magnesium supplementation on hyperactivity in children diagnosed with ADHD.
- To investigate the relationship between magnesium levels and ADHD symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Fifty children (7-12 years) meeting DSM IV criteria for ADHD and exhibiting magnesium deficiency were enrolled.
- Participants received approximately 200 mg of magnesium daily for six months.
- Magnesium levels were assessed using atomic absorption spectroscopy; hyperactivity was measured via psychometric scales (Conners, Wender, Quotient of Development).
Main Results:
- Magnesium supplementation led to increased magnesium levels in participants' hair.
- A significant reduction in hyperactivity was observed in the supplemented group compared to baseline and the control group.
- The positive effects on hyperactivity were independent of coexisting mental disorders.
Conclusions:
- Magnesium supplementation is an effective intervention for reducing hyperactivity in children with ADHD and diagnosed magnesium deficiency.
- This study supports the role of nutritional interventions in managing ADHD, offering a potential therapeutic avenue for non-responders to conventional treatments.
Abstract:
Children with ADHD are 'a group at risk' as far as their further emotional and social development and educational possibilities are concerned, and the consequences of the lack of an appropriate therapy appears to be serious. Some of these children do not respond to prevailing therapy methods. It is reported that dietetic factors can play a significant role in the etiology of ADHD syndrome, and magnesium deficiency can help in revealing hyperactivity in children. The aim of our work was to assess the influence of magnesium supplementation on hyperactivity in patients with ADHD. The examination comprised 50 hyperactive children, aged 7-12 years, who fulfilled DSM IV criteria for ADHD syndrome, with recognized deficiency of magnesium in the blood (blood serum and red blood cells) and in hair using atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the period of 6 months those examined regularly took magnesium preparations in a dose of about 200 mg/day. 30 of those examined with ADHD showed coexisting disorders specific to developmental age, and 20 of them showed disruptive behaviour. The control group consisted of 25 children with ADHD and magnesium deficiency, who were treated in a standard way, without magnesium preparations. 15 members of this group showed coexisting disorders specific for developmental age, and 10 members showed disruptive behaviour. Hyperactivity was assessed with the aid of psychometric scales: the Conners Rating Scale for Parents and Teachers, Wender's Scale of Behavior and the Quotient of Development to Freedom from Distractibility. In the group of children given 6 months of magnesium supplementation, independently of other mental disorders coexisting with hyperactivity, an increase in magnesium contents in hair and a significant decrease of hyperactivity of those examined has been achieved, compared to their clinical state before supplementation and compared to the control group which had not been treated with magnesium.