What's Causing the Rise in ADHD?

According to the CDC, approximately 11% of children 4-17 years of age (6.4 million) were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as of 2011. That was 22% increase from 2003. This increasing trend has continued since 2011.

ADHD makes it hard for children to pay attention and to control impulsive behavior. An increasing number of older children, including high school students, are now being labeled as having ADHD. Adult ADHD is also becoming more prevalent. More than twice as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls.

Some experts feel the increase could be due to increased awareness and better diagnosis, but that can’t account for all of it. Asthma, allergies and autism are also on the rise. All of these are not due to just better diagnostic procedures and awareness. When I was a child, I didn’t know anyone with a peanut allergy. Now, many schools have peanut free tables in their cafeterias. A child with a severe peanut allergy, even back then would have been easy to diagnose, since eating any peanut product, would have caused anaphylactic shock.

The trend in the increase of ADHD coincides with increased prevalence of the weed killer Roundup (glyphosate), in the American food supply. Is this a coincidence, or is there a cause and effect relationship between the two?

An ADHD diagnosis is not derived through a blood test or an MRI scan. It is made on the subjective observations of doctors, teachers, parents or guardians. This diagnosis is based on signs that nearly every child will display at some point. It is unfortunate that some children are misdiagnosed as having ADHD, but they are only “suffering” from a syndrome called childhood, which will pass with time.

There are also some food allergies that can cause behaviors that mimic those of ADHD. Dr. Doris Rapp is a pioneer in that field.

What Is ADHD?

ADHD involves a cluster of symptoms that includes inattention, hyperactivite and impulsive behaviors.

Often, children with ADHD struggle in school and have difficulty managing interpersonal relationships. They also tend to suffer from low self-esteem. The similar term attention deficit disorder (ADD) has largely been replaced with ADHD, as it describes two of the most common symptoms of the condition, inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.

Diagnosing ADHD really comes down to a matter of opinion, since there is no physical test, like a brain scan, that can pinpoint the condition. This could change. According to a recent study, a newer MRI method called magnetic field correlation imaging that can detect low iron levels in the brains of children with ADHD, could potentially help parents make better informed decisions about treatment.

At present, diagnosis is more dependent on subjective evaluation. Most children with ADHD will display a combination of inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior, along with the following symptoms:

1. Frequent fidgeting or squirming
2. Difficulty playing quietly
3. Always seems on the go
4. Restlessness
5. Excessive talking and interrupting others
6. Difficulty waiting his or her turn
7. Frequent daydreaming
8. Frequently has problems organizing tasks or activities
9. Difficulty following through on instructions and apparently not listening

Many of these “symptoms” could describe virtually any child, or most children, on any given day. Hence, it makes diagnosis difficult. According to a 2010 study, an estimated 20% of children with ADHD are misdiagnosed.

About two-thirds of the children diagnosed with ADHD are on some form of prescription medication and run the risk of significant side effects, including:

1. Brain damage
2. Cardio toxicity
3. Liver damage
4. Cancer
5. Changes in personality, depression, and/or hallucinations
6. Heart attacks
7. Strokes
8. Sudden death
9. Suicide

What Really Causes Behavioral Difficulties?

Behavioral problems clearly do exist and do appear to be more prevalent than in decades past. This is occurring with or without the ADHD label.
The question on everyone’s mind is what’s causing it? The cause of ADHD remains elusive, although there are many contending culprits, including poor nutrition and environmental toxins ranging from food- and vaccine additives to agricultural chemicals.

A 2006 study found that a mother’s use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. The study also suggested that exposure to lead and/or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause ADHD symptoms. Pesticide exposure has also been linked with ADHD.

Basic nutrition can also be a key factor. Many children are on an emotional roller coaster, oscillating between sugar rushes and insulin crashes!

We know that the food choices of most children and adults today are incredibly poor. How can you possibly expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, and processed foods loaded with chemicals, including food dyes? Those processed foods are largely devoid of natural nutrients.

Five Dietary Factors to Address if Your Child Has ADHD:

1. Too much sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which can lead to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia, in turn, causes your brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, and panic attacks. Sugar promotes chronic inflammation in your body and many studies have demonstrated the connection between a high-sugar diet and poor mental health.

2. Gluten sensitivity may be at the root of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions, including ADHD. According to a 2011 study, celiac disease is “markedly overrepresented among patients presenting with ADHD,” and a gluten-free diet has been shown to significantly improve behavior in kids. The study went so far as to suggest celiac disease should be added to the ADHD symptom checklist.

3. Poor gut bacteria - As explained by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor with a postgraduate degree in neurology, toxicity in your gut can flow throughout your body and into your brain, where it can cause symptoms of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. Reducing gut inflammation is imperative when addressing mental health issues. Optimizing your child’s gut flora is a critical step.

4. Animal-sourced omega-3 deficiency - Research has shown that kids low in omega-3 fats are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, struggle with learning disorders and display behavioral problems. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been tied to dyslexia, violence, and depression.

5. Food additives and GMO ingredients - A number of food additives are thought to worsen ADHD, and many have subsequently been banned in Europe. Potential culprits to avoid include Blue #1 and #2 food coloring; Green #3; Orange B; Red #3 and #40; Yellow #5 and #6 and the preservative sodium benzoate.

The Hidden Health Hazards of Glyphosate and GMOs:

Recent research also shows that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, used in large quantities on genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops, limits your body’s ability to detoxify foreign chemical compounds. As a result, the damaging effects of those chemicals and environmental toxins are magnified, and may result in a wide variety of diseases, including brain disorders that can affect behavior.

Glyphosate-contaminated food has recently been implicated in the dramatic rise of both ADHD and autism. Both problems appear to be rooted to some degree in abnormal gut flora and this is where glyphosate may begin its path of destruction. How severe the effect might be in any given person will likely depend on a wide variety of individual factors, including the mother’s gut health during and at the time of giving birth.

How to Optimize Your Child’s Gut Flora:

1. Avoid processed, refined foods as they promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria, yeast and fungus in the gut. Most processed foods are also high in sugar and fructose, grains (gluten), artificial additives and genetically engineered ingredients (which tend to be more heavily contaminated with glyphosate). These are all items that tend to aggravate ADHD symptoms. Also, replace sweetened beverages (whether diet and regular), including fruit juices and pasteurized milk, with pure non-fluoridated water.

2. Eat traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods: Fermented foods are one of the best routes to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Some of the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods are also excellent chelators of heavy metals and pesticides, which will also have a beneficial health effect by reducing your toxic load. Fermented vegetables are perhaps among the most palatable fermented foods. Many kids will also get used to fermented dairy products like kefir.

3. Use a high-quality probiotic supplement. If you cannot get your child to eat fermented foods on a regular basis, a high-quality probiotic supplement may be highly beneficial in correcting abnormal gut flora that contribute to brain dysfunction.

Additional Strategies to Relieve ADHD Symptoms:

1. Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals.

2. Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products free of added perfumes, softeners, etc.

3. Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.

4. Investigate sensory therapy and emotional wellness tools.

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