Research has shown that treating children who have Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with drugs is not effective in the long-term.
After three years of treatment, drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta work no
better than therapy.
Long-term use of the drugs can also stunt children's growth, and the
benefits of the drugs have been exaggerated.
An influential 1999 study seemed to find that medication worked better than
behavioral therapy for ADHD after one year of use. This finding caused a
vast increase in prescriptions.
But now, after longer-term analysis, the report's co-author, Professor
William Pelham of the University of Buffalo, has stated, "I think that we
exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study. We had
thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That
didn't happen to be the case. There's no indication that medication is
better than nothing in the long run."
Pelham said that medication had "no beneficial effects" and that in fact,
the drugs had a negative impact in terms of growth rate.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence in England is currently
revising their treatment guidelines for ADHD to include strategies that will
likely involve training for parents as well as "behavioral interventions".
"The important thing is that we have an approach which doesn't focus just on
one type of treatment," Dr. Tim Kendall, chair for the working group, said.
Sources:
BBC News November 12, 2007 Department of Health Statement
BBC News November 12, 2007
The number of children being harmed, perhaps for life, by unnecessary
drugging is truly heartbreaking. Especially when there are so many simple,
safe, and healthy options. Many are reluctant to adopt unproven
alternatives, but the great news is that scientific proof supports these
non-drug, non-invasive alternatives.
Even if Ritalin, the primary drug used for ADHD, were proven effective,
would you really want to give your child a drug that is very similar to
cocaine?
More Scientific Proof Food is the Answer - Not Drugs
For example, research by the University of Adelaide in Australia confirmed
that fish oil improves the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) without any of the side effects of drugs like Ritalin and
Concerta -- and more effectively at that!
They gave 130 children, between the ages of 7 and 12 with ADHD, daily fish
oil capsules. The children's behavior improved dramatically within three
months. They also found that:
After seven months, the children were not as restless and showed
improvements at school
Improvements in concentration and attention improved by one-third
After 15 weeks, 30-40 percent of the children taking fish oil had
improvements
After 30 weeks, 40-50 percent improved
Children taking placebo capsules were later switched to fish oil and
subsequently also experienced improved behavior
Improvements were still being seen after the study ended, which suggests
that fish oils may have long-term effects.
What's the Real Price of ADHD Drugs?
ADHD drugs are known to carry serious side effects, including:
Permanent brain damage
Changes in personality, depression, and/or hallucinations
Cardio toxicity, and liver damage
Heart attack and stroke
Cancer
Sudden death, and suicide
So, why - if these alternatives work - treat millions of children with drugs
that are more powerful stimulants than cocaine?
Money! Huge Profits!
And, as you may already have noticed, more and more adults are now
"diagnosed" with ADD/ADHD. And why not? As Matthew Emmens, chief executive
of Shire Pharmaceuticals (a British manufacturer of Adderall) stated in a
2005 article, "The adult market is three times the size of the 1.14
billion-a-year children's market and is ripe and moving in the right
direction." This should be a telling statement for anyone under the illusion
that these drugs are created for the betterment of society.
But can it really be said that a community of drugged adolescents and adults
is a good thing? Using brain imaging, scientists have found that, in pill
form, Ritalin occupies more of the neural transporters responsible for the
'high' experienced by addicts than smoked or injected cocaine. We're
essentially creating a generation of legalized drug users.
Strattera, the only ADHD drug approved for use in adults, was found to cause
serious liver damage. In 2005, Eli Lilly agreed to put a "black box" warning
label on the drug, listing the following signs and symptoms that might
indicate potential liver problems:
Pruritus (Itchy skin)
Jaundice
Dark urine
Upper right-sided abdominal tenderness
Unexplained "flu-like" symptoms
Does Anyone Know What Causes ADHD?
Most would answer no, we don't. However, we do know the food choices of most
children are beyond poor. How could you possibly expect a child to have
normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, processed foods loaded
with chemicals, and juices and sodas instead of pure water? Add to that 90
percent fewer vegetables than what is required for health, along with an
overabundance of omega-6 fats and a virtual lack of omega-3 fats.
If you are a cook you will immediately recognise that this is a recipe for
disaster. You simply cannot have a healthy functioning brain in a child that
is not given the proper ingredients to develop optimal brain function.
This is not rocket science, folks. But it is easy to understand why there is
so much confusion regarding this issue when the drug companies spend
BILLIONS of dollars to confuse you with direct-to-consumer ads on TV, in
addition to brainwashing physicians to stick to the belief system that
drugs, not foods, are the answer for children with behavior problems.
Five Powerful Tools to Virtually Eliminate ADHD!
Eliminate most grains and sugars from your/your child's diet
Replace soft drinks, fruit juices and pasteurized milk with clean water
Increase omega-3 fats by taking an effective form of omega-3 oil like krill
oil or fish oil
Minimize your use of nearly all vegetable oils -- they are loaded with
omega-6 fats, which distort the powerful omega-6:3 ratio
Avoid all processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors,
flavors and preservatives
Additional helpful techniques:
Spend more time in nature
Sensory therapy and energy psychology tools, such as the Emotional Freedom
Technique
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with drugs is not effective in the long-term.
After three years of treatment, drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta work no
better than therapy.
Long-term use of the drugs can also stunt children's growth, and the
benefits of the drugs have been exaggerated.
An influential 1999 study seemed to find that medication worked better than
behavioral therapy for ADHD after one year of use. This finding caused a
vast increase in prescriptions.
But now, after longer-term analysis, the report's co-author, Professor
William Pelham of the University of Buffalo, has stated, "I think that we
exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study. We had
thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That
didn't happen to be the case. There's no indication that medication is
better than nothing in the long run."
Pelham said that medication had "no beneficial effects" and that in fact,
the drugs had a negative impact in terms of growth rate.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence in England is currently
revising their treatment guidelines for ADHD to include strategies that will
likely involve training for parents as well as "behavioral interventions".
"The important thing is that we have an approach which doesn't focus just on
one type of treatment," Dr. Tim Kendall, chair for the working group, said.
Sources:
BBC News November 12, 2007 Department of Health Statement
BBC News November 12, 2007
The number of children being harmed, perhaps for life, by unnecessary
drugging is truly heartbreaking. Especially when there are so many simple,
safe, and healthy options. Many are reluctant to adopt unproven
alternatives, but the great news is that scientific proof supports these
non-drug, non-invasive alternatives.
Even if Ritalin, the primary drug used for ADHD, were proven effective,
would you really want to give your child a drug that is very similar to
cocaine?
More Scientific Proof Food is the Answer - Not Drugs
For example, research by the University of Adelaide in Australia confirmed
that fish oil improves the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) without any of the side effects of drugs like Ritalin and
Concerta -- and more effectively at that!
They gave 130 children, between the ages of 7 and 12 with ADHD, daily fish
oil capsules. The children's behavior improved dramatically within three
months. They also found that:
After seven months, the children were not as restless and showed
improvements at school
Improvements in concentration and attention improved by one-third
After 15 weeks, 30-40 percent of the children taking fish oil had
improvements
After 30 weeks, 40-50 percent improved
Children taking placebo capsules were later switched to fish oil and
subsequently also experienced improved behavior
Improvements were still being seen after the study ended, which suggests
that fish oils may have long-term effects.
What's the Real Price of ADHD Drugs?
ADHD drugs are known to carry serious side effects, including:
Permanent brain damage
Changes in personality, depression, and/or hallucinations
Cardio toxicity, and liver damage
Heart attack and stroke
Cancer
Sudden death, and suicide
So, why - if these alternatives work - treat millions of children with drugs
that are more powerful stimulants than cocaine?
Money! Huge Profits!
And, as you may already have noticed, more and more adults are now
"diagnosed" with ADD/ADHD. And why not? As Matthew Emmens, chief executive
of Shire Pharmaceuticals (a British manufacturer of Adderall) stated in a
2005 article, "The adult market is three times the size of the 1.14
billion-a-year children's market and is ripe and moving in the right
direction." This should be a telling statement for anyone under the illusion
that these drugs are created for the betterment of society.
But can it really be said that a community of drugged adolescents and adults
is a good thing? Using brain imaging, scientists have found that, in pill
form, Ritalin occupies more of the neural transporters responsible for the
'high' experienced by addicts than smoked or injected cocaine. We're
essentially creating a generation of legalized drug users.
Strattera, the only ADHD drug approved for use in adults, was found to cause
serious liver damage. In 2005, Eli Lilly agreed to put a "black box" warning
label on the drug, listing the following signs and symptoms that might
indicate potential liver problems:
Pruritus (Itchy skin)
Jaundice
Dark urine
Upper right-sided abdominal tenderness
Unexplained "flu-like" symptoms
Does Anyone Know What Causes ADHD?
Most would answer no, we don't. However, we do know the food choices of most
children are beyond poor. How could you possibly expect a child to have
normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, processed foods loaded
with chemicals, and juices and sodas instead of pure water? Add to that 90
percent fewer vegetables than what is required for health, along with an
overabundance of omega-6 fats and a virtual lack of omega-3 fats.
If you are a cook you will immediately recognise that this is a recipe for
disaster. You simply cannot have a healthy functioning brain in a child that
is not given the proper ingredients to develop optimal brain function.
This is not rocket science, folks. But it is easy to understand why there is
so much confusion regarding this issue when the drug companies spend
BILLIONS of dollars to confuse you with direct-to-consumer ads on TV, in
addition to brainwashing physicians to stick to the belief system that
drugs, not foods, are the answer for children with behavior problems.
Five Powerful Tools to Virtually Eliminate ADHD!
Eliminate most grains and sugars from your/your child's diet
Replace soft drinks, fruit juices and pasteurized milk with clean water
Increase omega-3 fats by taking an effective form of omega-3 oil like krill
oil or fish oil
Minimize your use of nearly all vegetable oils -- they are loaded with
omega-6 fats, which distort the powerful omega-6:3 ratio
Avoid all processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors,
flavors and preservatives
Additional helpful techniques:
Spend more time in nature
Sensory therapy and energy psychology tools, such as the Emotional Freedom
Technique
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