Newsletter JANUARY 2007

Article
Nutritional Intervention for ADHD

Ask the Doc
Mineral Complexes: Carbonate Vs. Citrate and Company

Research Review
Diet Lowers Cholesterol as Effectively as Statin Drugs

Recipes of the Month
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Toasted Chick Peas
Dark Chocolate Fruit and Nut Clusters

Quote:
“The best medical insurance you can buy is good food.”
Eliot Coleman, Four Season Farm

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Nutritional Intervention for ADHD
By Sarah Cimperman, ND

Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common and fastest growing disease among children in the United States, although adults can be affected as well. Characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, ADHD is a complex condition commonly treated with stimulants such as Ritalin. As an alternative or adjunct to conventional medication, dietary changes are often helpful. Addressing the four most important nutritional issues – essential fats, pesticides, food allergens and simple carbohydrates – can have a positive impact on learning ability, focus, concentration, and memory in children and adults affected by ADHD.

Essential Fatty Acids

The brain is sixty percent fat, so it is no wonder that essential fatty acids play a prominent role in mental function. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fat, is the primary fatty acid in brain cells and accounts for approximately thirty percent of the total brain fat. Studies have shown that, on average, children diagnosed with ADHD have lower levels of omega-3 fats such as DHA in their blood. Other studies have shown that supplementing these important nutrients can correct symptoms.

In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, researchers at Purdue University studied fifty children with ADHD. For four months, one of the two groups received a daily supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids, including 480 milligrams of DHA. The other group was given olive oil, which is a healthy fat but low in omega-3 fatty acids. Results were based on reports from parents and teachers and evaluated children in four areas: hyperactivity, attention, conduct, and Oppositional/Defiant Disorder. Although children in both groups showed significant improvement in most symptoms, those receiving the supplement containing DHA had consistently better results, especially in the areas of conduct and attention.

The best dietary sources of DHA are wild fish that live in cold water like salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovy, halibut, trout and tuna. However, tuna can also be a source of mercury – a heavy metal that can interfere with brain function, learning ability and behavior – so it is best to avoid this fish or limit consumption to one monthly meal. For those who don’t eat fish, or don’t eat it several times per week, fish oil is the next best thing. Available in kid-friendly flavors, a daily spoonful is an easy addition to any diet.

Pesticides

Although anyone can be adversely affected by pesticides, children are most susceptible because their brains are still developing. Infants under one year of age are especially at risk because their blood-brain barrier, a protective membrane that filters compounds passing from the blood to the central nervous system, isn’t fully formed yet and harmful substances pass more easily into areas where they can cause permanent impairment.

A study at the University of Arizona demonstrated a clear connection between pesticide poisoning and cognitive problems in children. Researchers looked at four- and five-year olds in Mexico with similar diets, water mineral contents, genetic backgrounds, and cultural and social traditions. One group of kids lived in areas where pesticide use was routine on local farms and in households, while the other group lived in areas where pesticides were not used. The children exposed to pesticides scored lower in gross and fine eye-hand coordination, stamina, thirty-minute memory, and drawing ability.

Living in areas where pesticides are sprayed is not the only danger, ingesting foods treated with pesticides is also hazardous. When an organic-only diet isn’t possible, making smart produce choices can make a big difference in pesticide exposure. The most recent report from the nonprofit research organization Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzed more than 43,000 tests performed by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They found that the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables (in descending order) are apples, peaches, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce and tomatoes. The twelve produce items with the lowest pesticide load (in ascending order) are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papaya. EWG concluded that consumers can cut their pesticide ingestion by almost ninety percent when they replace the most contaminated fruits and vegetables with those that are least contaminated.

Food Allergens

Eliminating certain foods from the diet is sometimes helpful for individuals with ADHD. Allergies and intolerances to foods can have negative effects on any body system, including the brain. While only a small number of people are affected by true food allergies, food intolerance is much more common. The difference is that food allergies involve an immune reaction, which can be life threatening, while intolerances involve a problem with metabolism or digestion that can be uncomfortable but not fatal. The most common foods to offend include wheat, cow’s milk, eggs, soy, nuts, fish and shellfish. Blood tests are available, but an elimination diet – which involves removing suspect foods from the diet for at least two weeks, then reintroducing them gradually and observing for reaction – is the best way to identify problematic foods.

Additives in processed foods also have great potential for food allergy and intolerance. The FDA has approved more than 28,000 chemicals for addition to foods – including sweeteners, dyes, artificial flavors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils and flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate (MSG) – and estimates that the average child consumes 150 to 300 milligrams of additives per day from processed foods, beverages and candy. Avoiding processed foods is often the only way to avoid food additives.

Simple Carbohydrates

Foods high in sugar affect individuals with ADHD in a unique way. All cells in the body require glucose, the simple sugar produced when carbohydrates are digested. Unlike other cells, brain cells do not have the ability to store glucose for later use and require a constant supply. After eating carbohydrates, blood glucose levels rise and the pancreas secretes insulin to allow the glucose to enter cells, reducing levels circulating in the blood. As blood sugar levels begin to drop, the adrenal glands produce epinephrine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters that increase the uptake of glucose into brain cells to offset the effects of insulin and increase alertness and concentration. In individuals affected by ADHD, this process may be impaired.

Researchers at Yale University used PET scans and a meal high in glucose to compare the response by children diagnosed with ADHD and children without the diagnosis. They found that glucose and insulin levels were similar in both groups, but levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine were much lower in the children with ADHD. These children scored lower on cognitive tests and exhibited increased physical activity and faster reaction times. Physical activity stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more norepinephrine, which compensates for the lower levels found in children with ADHD.

Individuals with ADHD should avoid simple carbohydrates, such as processed foods and those made with sugar or flour. A balanced diet of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, beans and vegetables, along with healthy fats and protein at every meal will balance both blood sugar and brain chemistry.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ask the Doc

What is the difference between the various forms of minerals? For example, calcium comes as ascorbate, aspartate, carbonate, citrate, glycinate, malate, orotate or picolate.

Laura
Providence, RI

Minerals need carrier molecules to be absorbed. A mineral combined with a carrier molecule becomes a mineral complex. How well a mineral complex is absorbed depends on how easily the carrier molecule is transported across the wall of the intestine into circulation.

Inorganic carrier compounds, such as carbonate, are not well absorbed. Organic molecules, such as ascorbate, aspartate, citrate, glycinate, malate, orotate and picolinate, are absorbed much more efficiently.

Aspartate, glycine and taurine are amino acids. Citrate, malate, picolinate and orotate are organic molecules, but not amino acids. Ascorbate is vitamin C.

Aspartate, citrate and malate are also essential elements of the Krebs cycle. The Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle, is the process that cells use to derive energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It allows your body to use the nutrients you get from food for energy. In addition to better absorption, more efficient energy production may be another benefit of aspartate, citrate and malate mineral complexes.

Carbonate forms of minerals, such as calcium carbonate, have the lowest rates of absorption. Avoid these. All organic mineral chelates are better choices: ascorbate, aspartate, citrate, glycinate, malate, orotate, or picolinate. Of these, aspartate, citrate and malate are best. Not only are they well absorbed, but they optimize energy metabolism too.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Diet Lowers Cholesterol as Effectively as Statin Drugs

Researchers in Ontario compared the effects of statin drugs (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) with foods approved to lower cholesterol by the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program from the National Institutes of Health. The cholesterol-lowering diet was low in saturated fat and high in plant sterols, viscous (soluble) fibers, soy protein and almonds. The 46 participants included 25 men and 21 post-menopausal women with high cholesterol and a mean age of 59 years. After one month, researchers concluded that the diet was as effective as the statin drugs in lowering cholesterol.

Plant sterols and soluble fiber are found in many plant foods, including whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. Foods that contain especially high concentrations of soluble fiber include oats, peas, beans, apples, pears, prunes, citrus fruits, Brussels sprouts, carrots, barley and psyllium.
Jenkins DJ et al. Effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods vs lovastatin on serum lipids and C-reactive protein. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290(4):502-10, July 23 2003.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Manhattan Clam Chowder

2 pounds fresh Littleneck clams (or other fresh clams) or 16 oz canned chopped clams and their juice
28 oz canned whole tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, or more, crushed or minced
2 medium red potatoes, chopped with skin intact
1 to 2 tsp crushed red pepper, to taste
1½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1½ tsp ground thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste

If using fresh clams, add 2 cups water to a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Add clams, cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir clams and recover. Continue cooking until all or most clams are open, maybe 5 or 10 minutes more, depending on the type and size of clams. Transfer the clams to a large bowl and strain the broth through a fine sieve. Once the clams are cool, remove them from the shells and roughly chop. Set aside clams and broth.

Add the can of tomatoes with their juice to a large bowl and crush with a potato masher or clean hands.

In the soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, potatoes, red pepper, thyme, oregano and black pepper and cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes with their juice and reserved clam broth, if available. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, adding boiling water as needed for desired consistency.

Add chopped clams (with their juice if using canned clams) and stir to incorporate. Remove soup from heat and allow to sit for at least one hour for flavors to develop.* Reheat slowly over low heat before serving.

* The soup can be eaten right away, but it is more flavorful if you let it sit for a bit first.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Toasted Chick Peas

2 cups cooked chick peas (garbanzo beans) or 1 can, drained and rinsed
Extra virgin olive oil or lemon juice
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Ground seasoning of choice, alone or in combination:

• Herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
• Spices such as tumeric, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, etc.

Dry the chick peas with a clean kitchen towel. Add them to a dry skillet, preheated over medium heat. Gently roll peas occasionally to toast all sides, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove chick peas from heat and toss with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil or fresh lemon juice so they are slightly moist and the seasoning will stick to their exterior. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and ground seasoning to taste. Toss again to distribute seasoning and serve.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dark Chocolate, Fruit and Nut Clusters

This recipe is simple, fast and flexible. Use whatever dried fruit and raw nuts you have on hand or pick your favorite combinations.

6 ounces dark chocolate
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash cayenne
½ cup raw nuts
½ cup dried fruit
Unsweetened shredded coconut to garnish (optional)

Suggestions:

• Figs (chopped) and cashews
• Cranberries and almonds
• Apricots (chopped) and walnuts

Melt chocolate slowly over a double boiler brought to a gentle simmer. If you do not have a double boiler, improvise and a glass bowl on top of a saucepan filled with an inch of water.

Once the chocolate has melted, stir in cinnamon and cayenne until thoroughly incorporated. Add the fruit and nuts; stir again until everything is well combined. Drop spoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the clusters if desired.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then serve or store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Yield: approximately 25 clusters

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Click here to download the January 2007 newsletter*

* You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.   Click this button to get this free-ware.
To subscribe to this newsletter
Those who would like to receive a monthly email with the link can email with “subscribe” in the subject field. Those who do not wish to receive such reminders can send an email to the same address with “unsubscribe” in the subject field.