Treating ADHD with supplements

Researchers from the University of Canterbury, at Christchurch, New Zealand reviewed the evidence supporting the use of nutritional and herbal supplements to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

First, the details.

• Published evidence on single ingredients (eg, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids), botanicals, and multi-ingredient formulas were reviewed.

Warning: The evidence is sparse, mixed, and lacking consistency. Links are added to summaries presented previously on this blog.

And, the results.

• The best evidence
  • Zinc (2 positive studies)
• Mixed evidence
  • Carnitine
  • Pycnogenol
  • Essential fatty acids
• More research needed
  • Vitamins
  • Magnesium
  • Iron
  • SAM-e
  • Tryptophan
  • Ginkgo biloba with ginseng
• No supporting evidence
  • St. John’s wort
  • Tyrosine
  • Phenylalanine
• Multi-ingredient approaches are intriguing but under-researched.

The bottom line?
Slim pick’ns

4/7/09 19:34 JR