ADHD – Is Your Child Deficient in Magnesium?
Magnesium continues to be scientifically proved to aid in numerous instances of ADHD as the subsequent research clearly illustrates. Low levels of magnesium have long been shown to contribute to hyperexcitability with convulsive seizures in rodents, effects that were turned around by treatment with magnesium. (Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2004 Oct;23(5):545S-548S).
Animal research has suggested that magnesium supplements are able to improve learning and improve the behavioral reaction to stimulants. As a result the usage of magnesium combined with amphetamines will probably add to the effectiveness of these medications in the healing of ADD. (Psychiatry research. 1994;54:199 210).
In 1997 researchers reporting in the journal Magnesium Research, divided 75 kids (ages 7to12) with diagnosed ADHD into two groups in a preliminary, controlled trial. The children had a deficiency of magnesium which was determined in blood serum, red blood cells and in hair. Fifty kids, 20 of whom showed disruptive behaviour, were supplemented with 200 mg per day of magnesium for 6 weeks along with the regular therapy of theirs. The alternative group of twenty five children, 10 of whom proved disruptive behaviour, received the standard therapy with no magnesium. At the conclusion of the trial, the children whose therapy incorporated magnesium supplements demonstrated a significant improvement in hyperactive behaviour as determined by parent and teacher ratings as well as other regular testing techniques when compared to the children who had not received the supplements. (Magnesium Research. 1997 Jun; 10(2): 149-56).
Throughout 1998 among the researchers in the study above, reporting in the journal Annales Academiae Medicae Stetinensis (Poland), elaborated on the research, reiterating the reduction of hyperactivity in the number of children handled with magnesium, but including that in the group of kids provided standard therapy without magnesium, hyperactivity had essentially intensified! The researcher concluded: “…magnesium supplementation together with standard traditional method of treatment allows us the opportunity to extend the strategies of treatment of ADHD children that are the “children of the risk” in connection with their educational, emotional and social problems.” (Ann Acad Med Stetin. 1998;44:297-314. Polish).
Throughout 2004 French researchers, reporting in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, investigated the effects of magnesium and vitamin B6 supplementation on the behaviour of fifty two hyper excitable children everything under the age of fifteen years. Thirty of the hyperactive kids have been lacking in magnesium and were later treated with vitamin and magnesium B6. After 6 months of therapy all children had decreased symptoms of hyperexcitability including physical aggression, instability and learning interest. Interestingly, the scientists also analyzed their family members for lower levels of related signs and magnesium. The ones that fitted the key elements were also supplemented with vitamin and magnesium B6 as well as responded in a positive manner. (Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2004 Oct;23(5):545S-548S).
Throughout 2006 Russian scientists employed a mix of magnesium and vitamin B6 for treatment of kids aged from six to 12 with ADHD. The kids were split into 2 groups, 31 children have been given the magnesium and vitamin B6 mixture, while twenty kids in the opposite group received a multivitamin complicated. After 30 days the researchers established major improvements in the magnesium and vitamin B6 group when compared with the control group. The primary areas of advancement were in behaviour, decreased amount of aggression and tension and increased attention. (Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2006 Jan-Feb;69(1):74-7).
In 2006 French researchers, reporting in the journal Magnesium Research, supplemented forty kids with medical symptoms of ADHD with magnesium as well as vitamin B6 for 8 days. In almost the children signs of hyperactivity, hyperemotivity (excessive emotions) and aggressiveness were substantially reduced following 2 months. In addition, school attention was also improved. The scientists observed that once the magnesium as well as vitamin B6 solution was stopped, medical signs of the condition reappeared in a number of weeks. (Magnesium Research. 2006 Mar;19(1):46-52).
These results suggest that magnesium supplementation, topical spray (click through the next article) and at least high amounts of magnesium in the diet plan, may prove to be useful for kids with ADHD.