On the Right Track?
Hi - I couldn't help but come across the amazing story regarding Miles. Many people think I'm crazy for changing my daughter's diet but I know as a schoolteacher that diet certainly affects children especially when some parents send a bagel in everyday for lunch. Anyhow, my daughter was just diagnosed with PDD-NOS at 34 months old. People think I'm in denial but she seemed normal for so long, and my Alyssa has always been very well coordinated and she's always seemed very hyperactive or more or less in overdrive. She was diagnosed because of her speech delay and other restricted behaviors but she talks and will look at you. She's also very loving but not as willing to give hugs like other children her age. She's just always very very excited. Right now I have only switched over to organic milk and other organic diets. However, Karyn Seroussi's article seems very interesting as a dairy free diet may help. What I've decided to do is take her to a doctor of "naturalpaths". I don't know if I typed it right but these doctors examine the body's internal chemistry and allergic reactions inside that may not show on the outside. I agree with everything you are saying as I see children everyday and watch them fuction for long periods of time.
The reason for my email is I want to know if I'm on the right track to helping my daughter in a more natural way. Also, I am having a hard time with a good diet for her. Do you have any suggestions like should I see a nutritionist or wait til I see this new doctor who will test all allergies in conjunction with gluten levels? Any recommendations you have will be helpful as I will do anything for my Alyssa. Thanks so much - Colleen.
Dear Colleen: Some schools that only accept behavioral problem students found that their behavior are improved markedly by giving them organics. You are advised to watch the movie, or rent from your video store, Morgan Spurlock's "Super-Size Me", which tells in detail about the dangers of softdrink and prepared foods in school. The detail of links of is here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/
I have also received a feedback from some parents of autism and noted improvements in their learning just taking on alternate weeks of course (one week on/two weeks off) on just taking a 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/4 teaspoon citric acid mixed in 1/2 glass of water in early afternoon or late evening usually on an empty stomach. You can add more citric acid if you wish, if the taste is so-so or that not all baking soda is reacted. The chemical reactions of this solution is a sodium citrate. Sodium citrate is an amazing compound in that it buffers the blood of pH to near optimum, reduces inflammation of internal tissues, and removes dangerous heavy metals which impairs learning behavior. Of course, a more precise regimen should be 4 days on, and 8 days off. But keeping a tight schedule like this are difficult in practice.
The second thing that I have failed to mention in previous postings is the importance of niacinamide, vitamin B3, which have a calming effect and increased concentration in children. In fact scientists have found the effect of niacinamide to work better than nootropics (drugs that enhance your learning and behavioral problems) as the more expensive piracetam. A safe dose without the side effect is between 100 mg - 250 mg for children, but must be taken along with vitamin B complex also. To make this regimen work it is necessary to give the child only just 3-4 days on followed by 6- 8 days off. I could never get a precise fixed on this on/off, but after a lot of struggle, this is my numbers that seems to work best.
Omega 3 and lecithin (granulated kind) are two very important food important supplements. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier, while heavy metals which impairs children learning behavior is hydrophobic. So taking lecithin along with food helps remove heavy metals and toxins more readily.
Because of industrialized farming practices, chickens are now grown much faster, as a result, traditionally raised chickens have a well balanced omega 3 and omega 6. However, today's chicken have an enormous amounts of omega 6 but little of omega 3. I have found that some children with epileptic seizures were reduced to zero, just by taking baking soda+citric acid. And some are reduced by omega 3. Yes, you are right, food is what effects children behavior. Many parents in many forums are now learning the hard way "you are what you eat". Naturopaths can also give you additional information as well to further certain deficiencies in children. However, I can only make broad generalizations of that based on my own experience. The common deficiencies are usually magnesium, vitamin b complex (especially niacinamide), zinc, and selenium. In fact a little known information of vitamin B3 niacinamide is that it is used to treat schizophrenia and hyperactive disorder. It worked quite well. Ted
Footnote information on Nootropics and Niacinamide (excerpts only information related to this discussion): source
"There now appears to be almost an epidemic of Ritalin prescriptions among school children. Unfortunately medicine has not fully considered Ritalin's profound adverse effects on brain chemistry and energy. There is little focus on the role played by amphetamines and other mood-altering prescription or illicit drugs in childhood violence. Xenobiotic (synthetic) drug therapy, combined with biochemical imbalances resulting from situational stress and dietary induced nutritional deficiencies must be considered as a significant contributing factors in childhood violence. Niacinamide is a potentially highly effective treatment for many childhood and adolescent behavioral problems. Niacinamide helps maintain brain ATP/ADP ratios and thereby maintains brain energy and amine levels. Amphetamine-induced depletion of dopamine and energy stores can often be alleviated by niacinamide (Wan, et.al. 1999). Niacinamide, at the very least, would appear to be an inexpensive primary intervention tool due to its benefit of significantly reducing the aggression threshold. Niacinamide has yet another benefit for students. It was shown to have nootropic effects greater than piracetam! Niacinamide also beat piracetam as an antihypoxic, antiamnestic and anxiolytic (Akhundov, et. al., 1990). Perhaps administrators and psychologists should be dispensing niacinamide rather than amphetamines and mood altering xenobiotics in our schools.
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