Have You Tried a Natural Remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder?

By now, it’s common knowledge that the most widespread treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder is medication. From an early age and into adulthood, those who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder had few choices in medication therapy. Most prominent among these medications were the amphetamine-based drugs like Ritalin, Cylert, and Dexedrine.

These stimulant drugs helped ADD patients focus, concentrate, listen, and follow through with tasks. Although they provided good symptom relief, they had troublesome side effects such as stomach ache, nervousness and insomnia. Strattera, a new medication, is not a stimulant drug, has no serious side effects, and no abuse or addiction potential. Strattera has become the first-line drug of choice for Attention Deficit Disorder.

Is There a Natural Remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder?

For personal health reasons, many adults and parents of affected children would rather not use drug therapy for Attention Deficit Disorder. All medications of any type have side effects; some people have a lack of tolerance for these medications for ADD. Unfortunately, it’s been definitively proven through exhaustive medical research that the 1970’s Attention Deficit Disorder diet just didn’t work. But this doesn’t mean that there’s not a natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder.

For many years, practitioners of homeopathy, herbal medicine, and alternative therapies such as aromatherapy, Ayurvedic medicine, Bodywork (massage), Chinese medicine, and Mind-Body Therapy have been used successfully as natural remedies for Attention Deficit Disorder. Best of all, these remedies have no side effects at all. If you cannot physically tolerate ADD medications, why not try a natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder?

Most natural remedies for this disorder focus on substances and lifestyle changes that focus on calming the restless ADD patient, relieving hyperactivity and anxiety, and helping the patient to increase attention and concentration. Aromatherapy is a long-standing natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder. Lavender essential oil can be heated in a special burner. As its beautiful aroma drifts through a room, it produces a calming effect, relieves anxiety and helps induce sleep in the physically restless ADD adult or child. Essential oils of Rosemary, Lemon Balm (Melissa), Fennel and Sage also have calming effects.

Nutritionists believe that a natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder involves inclusion of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids in a patient’s diet. Omega-3s are most important in protecting the nervous system and cell membranes in the brain. This is especially important in fetal and child development. Nutritionists recommend this natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder to prevent impairment in mental functions associated with learning and intelligence. Omega-3s may be associated with depression, autism, and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Some natural remedies for Attention Deficit Disorder derive from herbal and nutritional remedies for Alzheimer’s disease. ADD and Alzheimer’s disease have many common characteristics; restlessness, repetitive actions, inattention, aggressive behavior, and forgetfulness. Theoretically, what works for Alzheimer’s should also work for ADD. Thus, herbal medicine practitioners recommend supplements of vitamins A, E and C, selenium, and ginkgo biloba. Acetyl-L-carnitine improves memory and concentration, as does zinc. Rosemary and Ginseng also improve memory and attentiveness.

Many foods serve as natural remedies for Attention Deficit Disorder because of the nutrients they carry that stimulate concentration, focus, and attentiveness. Nuts, beans, whole wheat, eggs and fish all contain lecithin, which protects cell and nerve membranes and assists in the production of acetylcholine, a necessary natural substance for intellectual functioning.