ADHD Experts: Convenient, Latest ADHD Insights

A preliminary study on ADHD suggests that transcentential mediation may offer significant improvement for ADHD symptoms. Researchers assessed a small group of young students with respect to behavior, power of concentration, and ability to think. They then taught the students to perform transcendental mediation in which they sat comfortably with their eyes closed while silently repeating a sound, word, or phrase for 10 to 15 minutes. The students meditated twice a day over a three-month period, after which their ADHD symptoms were assessed again. Scientists found that the students showed significant improvements in attention, working memory, organization, behavior regulation, and ability to learn new information. The students reported lower levels of stress and anxiety as well, according to the study, which was pubished December, 2008, in Current Issues in Education.

The study suggest that mediation may be a useful, natural, holistic option for those with ADHD. When you combine meditation while also avoiding both prescription and OTC drugs that contain anticholinergics, you would be taking two powerful steps to improving the functioning of the brain. What are anticholinergics? They a class of drugs KNOWN to interfere with normal cognitive function. Anticholinergics BLOCK receptors within the brain for an important brain chemical called acetylcholine. Actelycholine, among other things, helps to keep previously learned information from interfering with the ability to learn and remember new information, but this neurotransmitter chemical is blocked by virtually HUNDREDS of drugs available in the U.S. Brand names of OTC drugs include Advil PM, Bayer Asprin Pain Reliever PM,Benadryl, Drfamamine, Excedrin PM, Nytol, Sominex, Tylenol PM, and Unisom.

Prescription meds include a number of drugs used to treat hypertension, depression, Parkinson’s disease, vertigo, asthma, cardiovascular disease, incontinence, phychotic symptoms and behavioral problems. Abnormally low levels of acetycholine in regions of the brain involved in the regulation of memory and learning contribute substantially to the cognitive impairment and behavioral symptoms of people. It is KNOWN that increased availability of acetycholine helps improve cogntion and memory, yet, in our society, we literally subdue our cognitive abilities through the very “medications” we take that are suppose to help us. Remember that anticholinergics block receptors for acetylcholine, they deprive neurons in the brain of the neurotransmitter and produce a range of cognitive deficits affecting attention, the recording of incoming sensory information in memory, and other functions. The main message here is it is VERY important to recognize the negative impact certain medications can have on OUR brain, and to avoid those medications if at all possible.

When you combine these two suggested strategies with many other dietary principles that subdue inflammation within the brain as well as throughout the body, and take several natural supplements that ENHANCE cognitive development rather than impede it’s functioning, well, you just may see a new YOU ) NIck Tompanis, nutrition consultant