bipolar disorder

[Guest guest]

A friend of mine is interested in controlling the symptoms of his bipolar

disorder without using pharmaceuticals. I'd welcome any suggestions.

 

Meg

 

 

[Guest guest]

I had this filed on bipolar....

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 16,

2008

 

 

Bipolar Kids Need Nutrition, Not Junk Food and More Drugs

 

 

(OMNS, October 16, 2008) The NY Times Magazine's cover story, " The Bipolar

Kid " (September 14, 2008), is a very bleak article. While emphasizing the

miseries of living with such a child, Jennifer Egan's article offers little

hope except for ever-increasing doses of lithium. Long on discussions of

definitions and diagnoses, it is remarkably short on treatment alternatives.

Not a word about diet. Not a word about vitamins. Indeed, in this 9,500

word feature, describing the daily life of an out-of-control, beyond-ADHD boy,

the word " nutrition " is not mentioned at all. Neither are the words

" sugar " or " caffeine. "

 

What astounding omissions. Pediatrician Lendon H. Smith, M.D., nationally

famous as " The Children's Doctor, " was very plain in stating that sugar

causes profound mood disorders. He specifically advised parents to give their

children a " sugarless diet without processed foods. " (1) It is not easy. The

Center for Science in the Public Interest has reported that children

between the ages of six and eleven drink nearly a pint of soda pop a day. 20%

of

toddlers drink soda pop, nearly a cup daily. (2) And, of the seven best

selling soft drinks, six have caffeine in them. In sensitive persons,

caffeine can cause psychotic behavior. (3)

 

Food colorings and benzoate preservatives increase childhood hyperactivity,

according to research published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, June

2004. (4) The study, involving 277 preschool children, also demonstrated

that withdrawing these chemical additives decreased hyperactivity. When

additives were reintroduced, there was once again an increase in hyperactivity.

" Additives do have an effect on overactive behavior independent of baseline

allergic and behavioral status, " said lead author Dr. J.O. Warner. So many

parents, and any of us who have taught school the day after Halloween, can

verify this.

 

It is possible that the children profiled in the NY Times story are unusual

in that they do not consume any sugar, or any artificial food colorings,

or any benzoate preservatives, or any caffeine-laced soft drinks. But it is

much more likely that they do. The article ignored these important factors

even though health professionals are increasingly aware that the normal

functioning of the brain and nervous system is nutrient-dependent and additive

sensitive. Ian Brighthope, M.D., says, " What is going on in the mind can

be influenced by the nutrients and chemicals going into it. You can't get

anywhere with a patient with psychiatric symptomatology if their brain is

hungry, starved, or poisoned. " (5)

 

Yet in the entire Times article, the words " allergy " and " junk food " are

not mentioned, not even once. Children's learning and behavior problems often

begin in their parents' grocery carts. Allergist Benjamin Feingold, M.D.,

was convinced of the negative effect of food chemicals on children's

behavior and the role of good nutrition in treatment. (6) Says the Feingold

Association: " Numerous studies show that certain synthetic food additives can

have serious learning, behavior, and/or health effects for sensitive people. "

(7)

 

Another word totally absent from the Times article is " vitamin. "

Psychiatrist Abram Hoffer, M.D., has had decades of experience and considerable

success treating children's behavioral disorders with vitamins. High doses of

vitamin B-3 (niacin, or niacinamide) were first used by Hoffer and colleague

Dr. Humphrey Osmond in the early

1950s. The trials were double-blind and placebo controlled. Over half a

century later, vitamin therapy has still been largely ignored by the

psychiatric profession, and, evidently, by some newspapers.

 

What a loss to patients and their families. I know and personally observed

a preadolescent who was having serious behavioral problems in school and at

home. Interestingly enough, the child had already been taking

physician-prescribed little bits of niacin, though totaling less than 150

mg/day, but

evidently it wasn't enough to be effective. When tried, drugs (especially

Adderall) actually made him worse: far more angry and dangerously

confrontational. I was present when his parents had to hold him down while he

screamed death threats at them. In desperation, his mother finally tried giving

him

500 mg of niacin, three times daily (1,500 mg total). There was some

improvement. With about 500 mg every two hours (an astounding

6,000-8,000 mg/day), the boy was a new person. He was now a cheerful,

cooperative, affectionate youngster. Adding vitamin C and B-6 to his regimen

helped even more. His school performance soared, the teachers loved him, and

they repeatedly said so. At age 15, his maintenance dose was about 3,000

mg/day. He has since graduated from high school and is successfully employed.

This is exactly in line with what Dr. Hoffer has repeatedly demonstrated

for over 50 years. (8)

 

People often ask, " If this treatment is so good, how come my doctor doesn't

know about it? How come it is not in the newspaper? " Those are good

questions.

 

The NY Times should know that reporting one side is not good reporting. To

tell the whole story, we need nutrition. So do bipolar children.

 

References:

 

(1) Smith L. Foods for Healthy Kids. Berkley, 1991. ISBN-10:

0425127087; ISBN-13: 978-0425127087

 

(2) Jacobson MF. Liquid Candy: How soft drinks are harming Americans'

health.

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.c\'>http://www.c\

spinet.org/sodapop/liquid_candy.htm>http://www.cspinet.org/sodapop/li

quid_candy.htm_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.cs\

pinet.org/sodapop/liquid_candy.htm>http://www.cspinet.or

g/sodapop/liquid_candy.htm) Accessed Sept 18, 2008.

 

(3) Whalen R. Welcome to the dance: caffeine allergy, a masked cerebral

allergy and progressive toxic dementia. Trafford Publishing, 2005. ISBN-10:

1412050006; ISBN-13: 978-1412050005. Reviewed in J Orthomolecular Med, 2005.

Vol 20, No 3, p 215-217 and at

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.d\'>http://www.d\

octor

yourself.com/news/v5n11.rtf>http://www.doctoryourself.com/news/v5n11.rtf_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.do\

ctoryourself.com/news/v5n11.rtf>ht

tp://www.doctoryourself.com/news/v5n11.rtf) Synopsis at

<_http://www.doctoryourself.com/caffeine_allergy.html>'>http://www.doctoryourself.com/caffeine_allergy.html>http://www.doctoryourself.\

com/caffeine_a

llergy.html_

(http://www.doctoryourself.com/caffeine_allergy.html>http://www.doctoryourself.c\

om/caffeine_allergy.html)

 

 

(4) Bateman B, Warner JO, Hutchinson E et al. The effects of a double

blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colourings and benzoate preservative

challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool

children. Arch Dis Child. 2004. Jun;89(6):506-11.

 

(5) Interview, in the documentary film, Food Matters. Permacology

Productions, 2008.

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.f\'>http://www.f\

oodmatters.tv>http://www.foodmatters.tv_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.fo\

odmatters.tv>http

://www.foodmatters.tv)

 

 

(6) Feingold BF. Why Your Child is Hyperactive. NY: Random House,

1985. ISBN: 0394734262. List of Dr. Feingold's publications:

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.d\'>http://www.d\

octoryourse

lf.com/biblio_feingold.html>http://www.doctoryourself.com/biblio_feingold.ht

ml_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.do\

ctoryourself.com/biblio_feingold.html>http://www.doctoryourself.com/

biblio_feingold.html)

 

 

(7) _http://www.feingold.org/pg-research.html_'>http://www.feingold.org/pg-research.html_

(http://www.feingold.org/pg-research.html) and

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.f\'>http://www.f\

eingold.org/pg-news.html>http://www.feingold.org/pg-

news.html_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.fe\

ingold.org/pg-news.html>http://www.feingold.org/pg-news.html)

Free email newsletter available.

 

(8) Hoffer A. Healing Children's Attention & Behavior Disorders:

Complementary Nutritional and Psychological Treatments. Toronto: CCNM Press,

2004.

ISBN-10: 1897025106; ISBN-13: 978-1897025109. List of Hoffer's publications:

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://w

ww.doctoryourself.com/biblio_hoffer.html>http://www.doctoryourself.com/bibli

o_hoffer.html_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.do\

ctoryourself.com/biblio_hoffer.html>http://www.doctoryour

self.com/biblio_hoffer.html) See also:

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.d\'>http://www.d\

octoryourself.com/review_hoffer

_B3.html>http://www.doctoryourself.com/review_hoffer_B3.html_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.do\

ctoryourse

lf.com/review_hoffer_B3.html>http://www.doctoryourself.com/review_hoffer_B3.

html)

 

 

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

 

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight

illness. For more information:

<_http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96'>http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.o\

rthomolecular.org>http://www.orthomolecula

r.org_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=96 & e=MjgwMzY= & l=http://www.or\

thomolecular.org>http://www.orthomolecular.org)

 

 

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and

non-commercial informational resource.

 

Editorial Review Board:

 

Damien Downing, M.D. Harold D. Foster, Ph.D. Steve Hickey, Ph.D. Abram

Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D. James A. Jackson, PhD Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Ph.D Thomas Levy,

M.D., J.D. Erik Paterson, M.D. Gert E. Shuitemaker, Ph.D.

 

Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person. Email:

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[Guest guest]

Meg,

A close friend uses a combination of supplements including: Omega 3 (1500mg a

day), she also uses Lithium Orotate (over the counter mineral), Niacin, and

5-HTP.

Nagla

 

, " Meg " <maelsana wrote:

>

> A friend of mine is interested in controlling the symptoms of his bipolar

disorder without using pharmaceuticals. I'd welcome any suggestions.

>

> Meg

>

>

[Guest guest]

no alchohol, no sugar, no caffeine...anything that makes them go up and down

just has no place in their system.

plenty of fish oil for the brain; eat plenty of organic, wholesome foods.

check thyroid/adrenals - they both have symptoms that parallel the disorder and

are often the cause.

avoid toxic people, toxic environments and high stress.

 

, " Meg " <maelsana wrote:

>

> A friend of mine is interested in controlling the symptoms of his bipolar

disorder without using pharmaceuticals. I'd welcome any suggestions.

>

> Meg

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi there,

 

Here is some information posted on this Site last January. There are books out

there (including one listed on the site mentioned here)that show the importance

of diet and supplements for Bi-polar.

 

Another good Site is: http://bipolarblast.wordpress..com/

 

 

-----

Re: 2 medical problems

Jan 13.09

Alt Med Forum

 

A good start for Bi-polar is a natural diet, very little sugar, no

and very little dairy. Sticking with whole grains, organic food and

lots of fresh fruits and veggies helps.

 

For supplements here is what helps:

 

Omega 3 fish oil about 1500mg daily

Lithium Orotate 260mg

5-HTP 200mg

Niacin (Inositol) 12g

 

http://www.bipolar-lives.com/benefits-of-inositol.html

 

Hope this helps,

Dolores

 

 

 

, " Meg " <maelsana wrote:

>

> A friend of mine is interested in controlling the symptoms of his bipolar

disorder without using pharmaceuticals. I'd welcome any suggestions.

>

> Meg

>

>