A Word from Laura

Happy New Year!  I hope 2012 is a happy, safe, productive year for you and your family.  I hope you will find new ways to help your child.  Helping a child with ADHD is like solving a jigsaw puzzle:  you have to identify the missing pieces and fit them into a completed puzzle!

For some children, one of the missing pieces is low intake and/or a specialy requirement for magnesium.  So that’s the topic of this newsletter.  I hope you find it interesting and helpful!!

News for You

There is an interesting  article published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, “Neurological Aspects of the Clinical Features, Pathophysiology, and Corrections of Impairments in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  The study of 4532 children took place in one region of Russia.  They found the overall rate of ADHD to be 8% in children ages 6-11.  They performed all kinds of tests on 122 of these children including neuropsychological, neuro- physiological, and biochemical tests.  Many of the children showed impairment of social inclusion, increased anxiety and depression, and increased aggression and delinquent behavior.  Many had abnormal electro- encephalograms (EEG) that measured brain activity.

The biochemical tests are especially interesting.  Compared to normal children, they found that children with ADHD had lower levels of magnesium in their red blood cells and plasma, and also lower levels of a magnesium-dependent enzyme called Mg ATPase.

Because of the low magnesium levels in the ADHD children 31 children were given a supplement of magnesium lactate (48 mg) and vitamin B6 (5 mg). The supplement they used was MAGNE-B6.  They took this supplement 2-3 times a day for 30 days.  The placebo group of 20 children received a multivitamin preparation.

After 30 days, tests were administered again.  Based on ADHD questionnaires for parents and children, anxiety, impairment of attention, and hyperactivity were significantly improved while the placebo group did not change.  There were other significant improvements too—improvements in task performance, decreases in the proportion of errors, and increased rate of work.  The EEG results showed positive changes.

Blood measures also improved.  Red blood cell and plasma magnesium levels and Mg ATPase were in the normal range.

These kinds of results have been reported before by other researchers—Mousain-Bose in 2004 and 2006, Starobat-Hamelin in 1997 and Kozielec in 1994. 

Magnesium is sold in many forms: magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, etc.  Two inexpensive forms of magnesium are magnesium citrate and milk of magnesia.  According to Leo Galland, M.D. whom I greatly admire and respect, 100 mgs of magnesium is egual to ½ teaspoon magnesium citrate or ½ teaspoon milk of magnesia.

Ask your doctor what he thinks about giving your child magnesium supplements.  In large doses magnesium may cause diarrhea.  Children with kidney disease should not take magnesium without their doctor’s advice.

 News for You

News for You

There is an interesting  article published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, “Neurological Aspects of the Clinical Features, Pathophysiology, and Corrections of Impairments in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  The study of 4532 children took place in one region of Russia.  They found the overall rate of ADHD to be 8% in children ages 6-11.  They performed all kinds of tests on 122 of these children including neuropsychological, neuro- physiological, and biochemical tests.  Many of the children showed impairment of social inclusion, increased anxiety and depression, and increased aggression and delinquent behavior.  Many had abnormal electro- encephalograms (EEG) that measured brain activity.

The biochemical tests are especially interesting.  Compared to normal children, they found that children with ADHD had lower levels of magnesium in their red blood cells and plasma, and also lower levels of a magnesium-dependent enzyme called Mg ATPase.

Because of the low magnesium levels in the ADHD children 31 children were given a supplement of magnesium lactate (48 mg) and vitamin B6 (5 mg). The supplement they used was MAGNE-B6.  They took this supplement 2-3 times a day for 30 days.  The placebo group of 20 children received a multivitamin preparation.

After 30 days, tests were administered again.  Based on ADHD questionnaires for parents and children, anxiety, impairment of attention, and hyperactivity were significantly improved while the placebo group did not change.  There were other significant improvements too—improvements in task performance, decreases in the proportion of errors, and increased rate of work.  The EEG results showed positive changes.

Blood measures also improved.  Red blood cell and plasma magnesium levels and Mg ATPase were in the normal range.

These kinds of results have been reported before by other researchers—Mousain-Bose in 2004 and 2006, Starobat-Hamelin in 1997 and Kozielec in 1994.  (For discussion of these please scroll down until you come upon previous newsletters).

Magnesium is sold in many forms: magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, etc.  Two inexpensive forms of magnesium are magnesium citrate and milk of magnesia.  According to Leo Galland, M.D. whom I greatly admire and respect, 100 mgs of magnesium is egual to ½ teaspoon magnesium citrate or ½ teaspoon milk of magnesia.

Ask your doctor what he thinks about giving your child magnesium supplements.  In large doses magnesium may cause diarrhea.  Children with kidney disease should not take magnesium without their doctor’s advice.