ADHD: Vyvanse and Duration – DOE Simplified

Dr. Parker,

Certainly some medications are very effective for ameliorating the symptoms of AHDH, but what do they do to get to the root of the problem? Basically, nothing, and the individual is often tied to their medication regiments for many years, if not the rest of their life.

As you are well aware, there is a better and more effective way to improve this 20th century disorder. I think we all can agree that what IS becoming quite clear is that what children eat – and don’t eat – plays an enormous part in the ADHD equation. Of course, we can go even further back by discussing prenatal nutrition and it’s role, but let’s not go there at this time. While there are many theories floating out there as to the most effective comprehensive/holistic therapy for ADHD, ALL of today’s children in our society face so many dietary roadblocks that we never faced ever before; hence, children with conditions for which we often find ourselves scratching our heads.

Due to how our processed foods have evolved in this country, the role between AHDH behaviors and food sensitivity/allergies, along with dietary deficiencies of key nutrients should always be considered and explored as they are critical for brain development and appropriate functioning.

A diet that emphasizes protein and complex carbs can have an enormous effect on a child’s behavior. Unfortunately, our society free throws highly processed foods that are loaded with simple sugars, made with white flour, devoid of fiber, and loaded with sodium. This ubiquitous intake of Franken foods as they are now often referred to as, play a KEY role in children’s brain and overall development. These “foods” destabilize glucose/insulin blood levels into surges and crashes that play havoc on the brain’s energy levels as well as the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The brain really rebels when blood sugar levels get too low, and that’s when many folks, ADHD or not, start to feel tired and irritable and unfocused and unable to concentrate, which in itself, sounds a little bit like AHDH. Now think what this same formula of food would do to a child experiencing symptoms of ADHD. By simply eating meals high in fiber and protein which will help slow digestion and level out wild blood sugar spikes and plunges, while totally eliminating highly processed foods, the brain will most certainly experience a more continuous source of energy – glucose – causing it to function better, which could lead to improved behavior. Imagine that!!

Tufts did a study that found the children that ate a good breakfast consisting of old fashioned oatmeal – rich in complex carbs – performed better an hour later on memory tests than kids who ate typical sugary cereals or no breakfast at all.

Of course omega-3s also play a crucial role in brain development and children’s health. Certainly within the typical SAD, children and adults rarely get adequate amounts of omega-3s for normal development, let alone optimal development. So, why would so many more boys exhibit symptoms of ADHD over young girls? Perhaps because their bodies don’t metabolize what they do get in the same manner, leading to a skew in male symptoms. With girls, estrogen helps conserve essential fats, while with boys, testosterone has an opposite effect. Low levels of omega-3s are associated with low levels of dopamine, especially in the part of the brain associated with executive function – controlling impulses and staying on task. Is it that big of a stretch to consider insufficient (high quality) omega-3s may be partially responsible for ADHD children that are moody and anxious?

Vitamin D is now beginning to be recognized for the essential role it too plays in cognitive performance, and our SAD is often crucially deficient in this vital nutrient as well. In a recent study, researchers found that cognitive impairment significantly increased as vitamin D levels declined with senior citizens. In fact, participants with the lowest vitamin D levels had a whopping 2 ¼ times greater risk of cognitive impairment than those with adequate levels. If inadequate vitamin D levels can impair cognitive performance and increase the risk for dementia, again, I must ask, what would inadequate levels do with our children’s brain development? One researcher summed it up this way:
“This is the first large-scale study to identify a relationship between vitamin D and cognitive impairment in later life,” said study coauthor Iain A. Lang, PhD, of Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, England. “Dementia is a growing problem for health services everywhere, and people who have cognitive impairment are at higher risk of going on to develop dementia.” Could we capture the cat’s meow by combining a high quality omega-3 with vitamin D? But why stop there?
Food sensitivities and allergies are also thought to be associated with ADHD behavior. Considering that the human body is composed of some 100 trillion cells, we now also know that 90% of those cells aren’t even our own cells! 90% of the human body is composed of bacteria, with the other remaining 10% human cells. The gut is now being recognized as our second brain that is highly dependent upon its composition of probiotics and pathogens. If there are not enough in number or in variety of strains of probiotics, our second brain, it is being discovered will surely suffer, and will reflect in the development and performance of the brain. Probiotics have multiple functions, one being to maximize nutrient absorption via digestion which also can affect mental performance and clarity. Is there a role for foods containing varied strains of probiotics and supplements providing additional probiotics in the quest for resolving ADHD symptoms and improving child development? The data certainly appears to support it.
There are also vitamins and minerals to consider such as low levels of zinc, iron, magnesium and B6. But perhaps by resolving the child’s digestive issues, these nutritional issues would resolve themselves providing their dietary habits were altered to support whole food, good fat and protein intake as well. This would also focus on eliminating many of today’s added artificial colors, additives and preservatives that are often found in today’s processed foods. Literally thousands of chemical additives are allowed to be added to our processed foods, and these could easily add to the distortions of children’s behavior we often encounter in our society. In another study researcher from Columbia Un and NY State Psychiatric Institute analyzed 15 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that involved 219 children who were fed a diet containing artificial food colors and then given a diet free of dyes. They found that the children’s behavior on the dye-free diet was significantly better than when they ate foods loaded with artificial colors. Other additives such as preservatives such as BHA , BHT, TBHQ, sodium benzoate, benzoic acid, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, etc, certainly do not enhance overall health or mental performance, but when combined together, create a synergistic effect on brain dysfunction – the current state so many of our children are now experiencing.
Want to see better performing and better behaving young children? Then control the Franken foods they currently receive, and go with Real foods, some supplements and a loving environment. Thank you for your attention, Nick Tompanis

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