Taking this medication longterm may increase your CVD risk.

Guess what can reduce these symptoms? Alternative solutions instead of using this medication.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my informed and critical-thinking mom readers!

ADHD medications long-term use may increase CVD risk

Photo by Lavi Perchik on Unsplash

How many people have an ADHD diagnosis?

In 2019, 10% of children in the US were given an ADHD diagnosis, and according to a 2023 article, 5 out of every 100 children in the US are medicated for their ADHD.

ADHD and ADD, once thought of as a disorder in only children, are being diagnosed in adults as well. Whether these are children who were diagnosed with ADHD and are now adults or a new adult diagnosis, 8.7 million adults have this diagnosis.

I am wondering how many of these children who have ADHD are diagnosed within the school system, a system that makes children sit for too long and doesn’t engage them in active learning (especially boys), and schools that remove recess and gym class (P.E).

My guess is that more kids who attend school, rather than those who are homeschooled, have an ADHD diagnosis, but I could not locate any research comparing the two groups.

When our boys were under 5 years old, the point of youth sports to me was to tire them out as they had so much energy. I did not see anything wrong with it. There was one little boy on my older son’s soccer team who just seemed to be “there.” He was quiet, spoke very little, did not do much, and had a flat affect. Come to find out, he was heavily medicated for ADHD. It broke my heart that the child was trapped inside the numb persona that I saw.

How long does a person need to take ADHD medications?

(Beware as your doctor may tell you to stay on an ADHD medication for life)

In ADDitude online magazine, Walt Karniski, MD, states this regarding ADHD medications.

As a clinician, though, I can confidently say that if I had ADHD, I would continue to take medication for the rest of my life.

Why?

• ADHD does not go away for the vast majority of people.⁶

• There are no serious long-lasting side effects from ADHD medications.

• The benefits of ADHD medication are highly significant — and the consequences of untreated ADHD are serious.

Karniski goes on to state how safe the ADHD drugs are. He admits the drugs do alter the brain, but only in a positive manner!

Research reveals that long-term ADHD medication use changes the brain – and that all of these changes are clearly positive. ADHD medications are highly effective, both in the short-term and over decades, without any serious or long-term adverse effects.

The new study linking ADHD meds to CVD

A study conducted in Sweden examined people ages 6 to 64 years old diagnosed with ADHD or prescribed medication for ADHD from 2007 to 2020. The data was gathered from national registers. The findings showed that prolonged ADHD medication use was associated with an increased risk for HTN and CVD. For every additional year on the medication over 14 years, there was a 4% increase in CVD risk.

What this study found regarding beef and children

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This study by Wilk et al. (2022) looked at early beef consumption in children ages 1 through 5 and cognition. Sixty-one children and their parents were enrolled.

The study found

Parents introduced beef at 7.79 ± 2.65 months of age, primarily so that their children could eat what the family was eating. Higher intake of beef (r = 0.41, p = 0.02), zinc (r = 0.45, p = 0.01), and choline (r = 0.39, p = 0.03) at 6–12 months was associated with better attention and inhibitory control at 3–5 years of age.

These findings support the role of beef as an early food for cognitive development, although controlled dietary intervention studies are needed.

Adding beef to a toddler’s diet reduces the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, such as poor attention and inhibitions.

If your child (or even if you as an adult) suspect ADD or ADHD signs and symptoms, here is what you can do instead of popping a pill for the rest of your life.

ADHD/ADD can be a result of a host of underlying imbalances or can be a misdiagnosis. I will not dive into each of these as this would not be a post but a book. (This is not an exhaustive list).

Many (not all) of these underlying causes may also contribute to other mental health signs and symptoms such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia.

Some underlying issues to consider and address include:

• Blood sugar dysregulation

• Food Sensitivities

• Gut issues (dysbiosis, candida, increased intestinal permeability, opportunistic pathogens such as SIBO, worms, and protozoa)

• A diet high in refined carbs and sugar but low in protein and quality fats (children’s brains need fat-they should not be on a low-fat diet).

• Chronic antibiotic use

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Always check the thyroid (thyroid dysfunction such as hyperthyroidism may look like ADHD in children).

• Rule out sleep apnea

• Heavy metal toxicity (especially lead)

• Test to determine if IQ is in the gifted range and if the child is bored/not stimulated

• Toxicity (test for burden from toxins such as herbicides and pesticides)

• Food dyes, coloring, additives, and preservative sensitivity

• Undiagnosed learning disability such as dyslexia

An elimination diet can help identify some underlying root causes related to food. A carnivore diet removes many potentially problematic foods, such as oxalates, high FODMAPs, dairy, gluten, and so forth. Have the child on a diet for three months and then slowly re-enter foods with the guidance of a professional.

Some supplements to consider

Photo by Zuza Reinhard on Unsplash

Red jujube, magnesium L threonine, GABA, skullcap, German chamomile, hops, and lavender are soothing and calming herbs and nutrients.

To support focus, clarity, and mood swings, one can add Gingko biloba, B vitamins, Gotu kola, St. John’s Wort, and peppermint EO.

Vetiver essential oil is beneficial due to its calming and grounding properties that promote focus and attention.

Consider a zeolite product for detoxification. Ensure the child (or adult) moves their bowels daily and hydrates and sweats (to remove toxins).

Bottom Line

Lastly, there are many advantages to the ADD/ADHD qualities that society wants to suppress. These people tend to be more compassionate and creative, have more drive and motivation, and are problem solvers with a hyper-focus to resolve things. They are resilent, intuitive, idea generators and offer unique perspectives.

Why, for the life of me, would we want to turn all those magnificent qualities into that numb child with no facial expressions that I recall from years ago?

To reduce unfocused attention and hyperactivity, identify root causes, address them, and feed children a healthy, balanced diet at a young age so that they will grow up understanding how they feel when they eat whole foods.

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