Natural alternatives for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PRIME – September 2014 By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist, the Herbarium This month, I’m devoting my column to answering questions from you, my readers. Below are two I felt were extremely timely. Dear Jonathan, My grandson is back in school and suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They want to put him back on medication, but he did so well during the summer without it. Are there herbs that can help keep him calm? – Emily Dear Emily, There is so much that can be done for ADHD with nutrition and supplements. First, get to the library or bookstore and look for books by Doris Rapp, MD such as “Is This Your Child?,” as well as books by Dr. Lendon Smith, MD or Dr. Bernie Feingold. Nutrition and food allergies play a big part of the problem. Eat as clean as possible – no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, processed foods – you get the idea. Also get a good multivitamin for your grandson – not Flintstones. Depending on the age of the child, there are liquid vitamins and supplements specifically designed for ADD/ADHD etc. For really young kids, Buried Treasure makes a formula called Added Attention that contains minerals, herbs and essential fatty acids and has shown really good results over the years. For older children, grapeseed extract does a great job. It is one of the few things that cross the blood brain barrier, helping to promote blood flow and new blood vessel growth, and aids in getting the nutrients back to the brain. In essence it seems to “warm the brain,” thus causing the child to be more calm and focused. Another product is called MindTrac, which is a capsule formula that I have used. It is really good to get you back on track when you had five things on your mind and forgot the first three. The MindTrac and grapeseed extract are good for general use, not just for ADD. My wife Kathy also has several essential oil blends such as Calm Heart, I Know I Can, and Brain Power which can help with focus and concentration. In addition, there is a group in West Springfield called Brain Balance that can help with academic and socialization skills. Dear Jonathan, I see a lot of herbal products that say they are standardized. My question is what does that mean? – Alan Dear Alan, That is a great question, and to tell the truth, I sometimes wonder myself. Originally, standardization was meant to “correct” Mother Nature, and to give the consumer some measure of a quality product. Because of rainfall, soil conditions, sun, storage, harvesting methods and other factors, the potency and chemical variations of plants can vary from year to year and place to place. The general assumption was that by using various techniques, companies could ensure a consistent level of the active ingredient, meaning they would be stronger than the regular products, and act like a “natural drug.” That was the intention, but it did not happen. There is no universally accepted definition or method for standardization. Some companies have identified what they feel is the active ingredient through chemical analysis, and so try to give more of that ingredient for a more potent product. There is one teeny problem with this approach. Mother Nature isn’t playing with the same rules. Case in point: St John’s Wort. It was felt that hypericin was the magic ingredient to help with depression. The pharmaceutical companies tried to make a super potent drug using hypericin, and it did not work. Then they tried boosting the hyperforin, because that was the next most plentiful ingredient, and that too failed. What everyone seemed to miss was there are hundreds of chemicals and compounds in any given plant, and that mysterious synergy in the plant is what made it effective. Another situation involves “spiking” – where the company will add a certain amount of the active ingredient, to show it is a good product. There is also another problem with trying to standardized products. Some less than scrupulous companies will buy used material on the secondary market, spike it and say it is “a quality product.” This means a ‘Class A’ company makes a product; when they’re done, the sludge or the remainder of the product is not thrown away, it is sold on the secondary market. In essence, this is like buying a used tea bag. Yes, it’s 100 percent tea, but your cup is not going to be the same as mine. Funny thing is, you find these products at the discount stores. Some companies even try to claim they have a standardized product because each capsule is 400 milligrams At Herbarium we carry a guaranteed potency product, meaning batches of the whole plant are blended together to reach a guaranteed potency of the expected active ingredient, but the product still reflects the whole plant and all its complexities. Sometimes a guaranteed potency product is called for, but many times a regular herbal product or preparation is sufficient. This is one reason you need to know and trust your source. That’s all the room I have for this month folks, keep the questions coming. – Jonathan Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans via email at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, Mass. 01013. If requesting additional information from Evans, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.