Natural Remedies for ADD in Children

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a behavior condition that occurs in about 5 percent of children, leading to hyperactivity, school difficulties and a decreased attention span. Because ADD is often treated with stimulant medications, many parents of ADD children have begun to turn to natural remedies as alternative ADD treatments.

Supplements
1. It is possible that a lack of certain nutrients may be the cause of ADD symptoms. To ensure that this lack of nutrients is not involved, you may administer supplements to your child, allowing her to replenish absent nutrients. Some important nutrients that are available in supplement form are glycine and vitamin B6, which allow for the proper function of a child's nervous system; magnesium and zinc, which may increase concentration in ADD children, di-methyl glycine, which can stabilize glucose levels; and huperzine A, which can enhance cognitive functions including memory.
Diet
2. A child's diet may have an effect on the severity of his ADD symptoms. Hence, a change in diet can possibly reduce a child's ADD symptoms. Avoiding sugar and artificial sweeteners is an important step. Large amounts of sugar are not suitable for ADD children, as research has shown these children may have problems digesting sugar properly. In addition, sugar may enable an ADD child's aggressive or restless behavior. Sweeteners are problematic as well, due to their ability to reduce magnesium levels, ultimately leading to amplified muscle movements.
Sunlight
3. It is possible that your child's ADD symptoms are not truly from ADD. Sometimes children with seasonal affective disorder are misdiagnosed with ADD, as these two disorders have similar symptoms. Assuring that your child has adequate exposure to sunlight will help with any possible ADD-like symptoms arising from seasonal affective disorder.
Digestion
4. Because children with ADD often have difficulty digesting certain foods, such as proteins and gluten, food sensitivities may arise. One theory is that these digestion problems may lead to the appearance of ADD symptoms. Two recommended solutions are ingesting living microorganisms and using digestive enzymes. Both of these can be obtained in supplement form for ingestion.