I have a friend who has a boy with ADHD and is taking some very expensive meds. Do you have any suggestions? I would like to pass them on to him.

All neurologic conditions need to have high levels of the vitamins and oils that are needed for optimal functioning of the nerves. These include the B vitamins, especially B₁, B₆, B₁₂ and folic acid. B1, or thiamine, comes in the fat-soluble forms allithiamine and benfotamine, which releases the vitamin at the cell membrane. Both essential oils, omega-6 and omega-3, are important.

In children, the diet is most important. All sugars and processed foods need to be replaced with ‘real’ food–real meaning the kind of food that is fresh, preferably home-grown or prepared, preferably organic, not out of a box or can. Food allergies (and other allergies) may be a strong contributing factor to ADHD symptoms. Mercury is a neurotoxin, so you do not want the dentist to place amalgam (it really contains mercury, even though people say ‘silver’) fillings in his teeth.

When all those are in place, and there are still symptoms, here are a few other suggestions:

1. Phosphatidyl-choline and –serine are part of the fat that surrounds the nerves, so high doses of those supplements may prove helpful. Glutathione is an important anti-oxidant and functions as a weak chelator.  As a chelator, it can pull small amounts of offending toxins and metals out of the body. Unfortunately, it is not well absorbed. The 3 precursors can be ingested—glycine, glutamine and N-acetyl-cysteine—so the body can manufacture it more easily.

2. Most of these boys with ADHD symptoms are above average intelligence, so they are bored with school. Their behavior may be reflective of that boredom. Shift their school work into areas of greater interest, or more activity. Immediate feedback at school and home with charts, stars helps them stay on task. Just because they are inattentive or over-active, does not mean they are not listening or learning. They usually learn best when they are moving, and not focusing all their ‘concentration’ on the task of being still.

Most grading systems penalize these children because of their inattentiveness, and their creativity is not valued. When they leave the school environment and can choose where and how they perform, they may do supremely well in society.