Is a zinc supplement for ADHD really useful or is it just another myth waiting to be debunked? Studies have shown that ADHD children had a lower level of zinc in their bodies so it seems wise to add zinc for ADHD children if their diet is not a healthy balanced one.

A study in Iran showed that children who were taking a psychostimulant drug for ADHD together with a zinc supplement showed considerable improvement in their symptoms as opposed to another group of children who were just on the drug with a placebo. The doctors concluded that it would be beneficial to change a child’s diet or take a zinc supplement.

What does zinc do?
It is an essential element in the production of melatonin which in turn helps to manufacture dopamine which increases the ‘feel good’ effect , similar to that produced by endorphins. Normally humans produce little zinc yet it is an essential mineral which helps to combat colds, heal wounds and is vital for producing blood and protein.

Which foods contain zinc?

Your best bet is to go for whole grain stuff like pasta and wheat germ. Eggs, meat, milk, cereals, nuts, tofu are also good sources. The bottom line, I think, is to ensure that your children get approximately 15mg of zinc a day from their diet but if you are not sure or cannot be bothered, a good all round multivitamin will do the trick. If your kids are vegetarian, you may need to up the dose by half as much again as the zinc found in vegetables is not as easily absorbed as that contained in meat.

Decision Time
Unfortunately, just by giving zinc for ADHD children is not going to solve the problems experienced by them but it will certainly help. There will be other decisions, perhaps more pressing, to take. Remember that the taking of psychostimulants has mushroomed out of all proportion simply because the drug companies paid for research (only that with favourable results) so that a powerful lobby grew up around prestigious universities, the medical profession and anyone else who wanted to get on the bandwagon. Just visit the FDA site to see how many warnings there are about these drugs!

The Solution That Some Doctors Will Not Even Mention
Now that some parents have woken up to the awful truth about the risks associated with these ADHD medicines (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and Strattera) they want to make an informed choice and they want natural remedies for ADHD which are not going to damage their children’s health! These remedies are ideal and can be combined with dietary changes, combination therapy and also with a zinc supplement for ADHD. If you want to find out more about these safer and cheaper medicines, the link below will give you some food for thought and make your family life more enjoyable again.

Do you know anyone like my uncle? You know, the kind that searches for the salt shaker before even sitting at the table? The types who never seems to find anything tasty enough on its lonesome, so they cover everything, from steak to bread, with an extra pound of salt? Your look at them with astonishment and possible nausea, and wonder how it is that they have yet to fall over from a heart attack. Their poor bodies ache for salvation, and water, and while their capacity to discern between thirst and hunger diminishes, their bodies, and waistline, begin to suffer.

Could You Pass The Salt?

Average table salt contains 98% sodium, with the remaining 2% comprised of the chemicals that are left behind from the process. 85% of sea salt is comprised of sodium while the other 15% is minerals. Problem is, that until I did the research I had no idea how important sea salt is for health, and how unhealthy processed salt really is. Aside from severe dehydration, and possibly kidney failure caused from stress and too little water, a processed salt overload can lead to an imbalance in the body that can then lead to more serious health implications. I know, more serious than kidney failure? Maybe not more serious, but equally as damaging.

Insomnia, low blood pressure, weak pulse, thick blood, reduced blood volume, lethargy, impaired water excretion, pulmonary hyper-tension, mental confusion, anxiety, depression, hostility, apathy, memory loss, inability to concentrate, withdrawal, immune deficiency, high cholesterol, intracellular swelling, tachycardia, muscle pain, allergies, chemical sensitivity, hair loss, tooth decay, de-vascularization and necrosis. Over a long enough period of time, the body begins to die from malnutrition and low blood-pressure. Salt also robs the body of its electrolytes, which are needed to help in keeping the kidneys healthy and happy.

Salt is probably one of the most basic and staple foods of the human diet. The reason that table salt has negative effects on the body is because it is a man-made product comprised of only sodium and chloride. These two elements have their purpose, but in large quantities, they can be very dangerous to the body.

Water Is Salvation

MegaHydrate, a new and exception additive in the area of hydration, makes it possible for people to rid themselves of harmful substances, such as processed salts. MegaHydrate decreases the surface tension of water, which means that less water is needed to hydrate your body. Also a powerful antioxidant, MegaHydrate helps replenish and maintain the immune system at the same time that it helps stabilize the body’s water levels. Pretty impressive for one supplement.

Iron and Dementia
In the US iron deficiency has been found to be a major problem in people of all ages. Everyone knows the lack of iron causes anemia. Iron is the center of our red blood cells, which allow oxygen to be carried throughout your body and into your brain. Your brain uses over 20% of the oxygen available in the blood. Lack of oxygen has a major impact on your brain’s health and in the formation of dementia.

When a person is deficient in iron, they may have difficulty in keeping a conversation or in keeping a good attention span.

The actual ability to absorb iron into your body is dependent on the amount of acid you have in your stomach. If you have acid reflux or heartburn and are using drugs or antacids to get relief, you are affecting your ability to absorb iron.

To absorb iron, the pH in your stomach has to be normal, 1 – 2 pH. Under these conditions, iron in your stomach chemically reacts with other chemicals and is prepared for absorption in the small intestine.

When you take drugs to reduce the acid in your stomach, the iron does not chemically react and change for proper absorption in the intestine. The result is iron deficiency.

Here are some of the best foods that have iron.
Fried liver, fried kidney, fried chicken liver, wheat bran, ovaltine, coco powder, spinach, parsley, radishes, peas, leeks, carob bar, sesame seeds, pistachio nuts, dried coconut, cashew nuts, muesli, cornflakes, oatmeal, brown rice, total cereal, baked potato. Use 25 to 50 mg of iron supplement daily. If you take iron supplements check with your doctor to see if you really need them. Take excessive iron can result in poisoning. Keep iron supplements away from children.

B-Vitamin
The B-vitamin folic acid and B12 have also been a major problem in the US. B12 has been consistently found deficient in people with Alzheimer’s. Folic acid and B12 have been found to improve mental health in people who were in metal institutions.

Folic acid and B12 work to produce neurotransmitters and replace nerve cells. The lack of neurotransmitters is responsible for loss of a good memory.

To make sure B vitamins work for you in keeping your mental capacities in tack start making sure you are getting them in your diet or taking them as a supplement. If supplementing, use the B50 or B100 complex.

It appears that after a certain age B12 will not help in alleviating mental changes or problems.

Here are some the best foods that have B vitamins.

It is always best to get your minerals and vitamins in food. In food, minerals and vitamins are combined with other chemicals that allow your body to absorb them better than supplements.

Author Bio
Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. To learn more about the other nutrients you need to hold off signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s go to www.for–you.com/dementiaremedies

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is responsible for the development of healthy collagen, which is necessary to hold body tissues together. A vitamin C deficiency can cause split ends and hair breakage, yet this is easily reversible with an increase to normal vitamin C levels. Vitamin C can be found in foods such as fresh peppers, citrus fruits, melons berries, potatoes, tomatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is necessary to provide good blood circulation to the scalp by increasing the uptake of oxygen. Vitamin E is derived from foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, grains, vegetable oils, and most ready-to-eat cereals, which are fortified with vitamin E. Vitamin E deficiencies are rare in people in North America and Europe.

Copper Supplements

Copper is a trace mineral that is also necessary in the production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is vital to the process of carrying oxygen to tissues and to the hair follicle. Good sources of copper are liver, seafood, nuts, and seeds.

Iron

Another key mineral vital in the production of hemoglobin is iron. Iron is found in two forms, heme and non-heme; heme iron is much easier to absorb into the system. Of course most people know that red meat is a good source of iron, however red meat is non-heme iron and is difficult for the body to absorb, as are many iron supplements.

Good heme iron sources are green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, and bran. Also, one can increase the absorption of non-heme iron into the body by consuming non-heme food sources and vitamin C sources in the same meal.

Zinc

Zinc is another vital component of healthy hair. Zinc is responsible for cell production, tissue growth and repair, and the maintenance of the oil-secreting glands of the scalp. It also plays a large role in protein synthesis and collagen formation. For this reason, zinc is important for both hair maintenance and dandruff prevention.

Most Americans are deficient in zinc. Most foods of animal origin, particularly seafood, contain good amounts of zinc; oysters are particularly rich in zinc. Zinc is also found in eggs and milk, although in much smaller amounts. Zinc from sources such as nuts, legumes, and natural grains differ from than those found in animal sources and are not easily used by the body. Oats are a good source of zinc, which is readily absorbed by the body.

If you take antacid for heartburn you lower your ability to digest and absorb vitamin C and iron. As you make your stomach acid more alkaline, with antacids, your ability to absorb vitamin C and iron decrease.

Our body requires minerals and vitamins in order to grow and maintain good health. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions such as building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses, to maintain a normal heartbeat and to make hormones. Keeping these minerals in balance is a vital and a complex task that our body must perform efficiently at all times. Lack of balanced diet, stress, illness lead to shortage of these minerals and must be replenished through daily supplement intake to remain healthy.

There are two kinds of minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals. The macromineral group is made up of Magnesium, phosphorus , sodium, potassium, calcium and sulfur and our body needs a large amount of these minerals.

Trace minerals, on the other hand are the once that are needed in just the tiny amount, that is, we need just the trace of them in our body. Nevertheless, they are absolutely essential for our body to function in a healthy manner. These trace minerals include chromium, selenium, manganese, zinc, iodine, iron, cobalt, and copper. Scientists still do not know exactly how much of these trace minerals are required for our body to function properly.