NOW Foods - Study Shows Magnesium and Vitamin B6 Helps ADHD Symptoms

Study Shows Magnesium and Vitamin B6 Helps ADHD Symptoms

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, August 29, 2006, abstracted from “Improvement of neurobehavioral disorders in children supplemented with magnesium-vitamin B6. I. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders” in the March 2006 issue of Magnesium Research

As a disease that currently affects more than two million American children, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity and inattention.¹ While there are no figures available for the total cost that ADHD adds on our healthcare system, educational costs (sending ADHD kids to special schools) are $4 billion each year while “total treatment costs” for a child with ADHD average $1800 per year.²

Due to the side effects of ADHD medications, which include decreased appetite, insomnia, and increased anxiety and irritability,¹ more natural alternatives are constantly being sought. Fortunately, alternative treatments are showing promise in helping complement current treatments for ADHD. While “experimental evidence support[s] a role” for omega-3 fatty acids in ADHD⁴ a recent study showed Pycnogenol to be very effective for ADHD symptoms.⁵

Now a new study⁶ has found that another way to help ADHD may be to supplement magnesium and vitamin B6 into the diet. In the study, 40 children with clinical symptoms of ADHD were given vitamin B6 in the amount of 6 mg per kg of bodyweight per day and magnesium in amount of 0.6 mg per kg per day or placebo for 8 weeks. They then scored symptoms of ADHD (hyperactivity, hyperemotivity/ aggressiveness, lack of attention at school) on a scale of 0-4 and also measured blood levels of magnesium.

At the end of 8 weeks, the researchers found that the magnesium and vitamin B6 regimen “significantly modified” the clinical symptoms of the disease, namely hyperactivity and hyperemotivity/aggressiveness. Both were reduced and attention in school was improved. What’s more, when the magnesium-B6 treatment was stopped, clinical symptoms of the disease reappeared in just a few weeks.

For the researchers, “This study brings additional information about the therapeutic role of a Mg-B6 regimen in children with ADHD symptoms.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

¹ “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” posted on the NIH Website www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm

² “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” posted on the CDC Website http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/dadburden.htm

³ Richardson AJ. Omega-3 fatty acids in ADHD and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2006 Apr;18(2):155-72.

⁴ Trebaticka J. Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol((R)). Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006 May 13; [Epub ahead of print]