ZINC DEFICIENCY CAUSES ADHD AND DEPRESSION

With all the disclosures about funding received from the drug companies by "unbiased" research teams at major universities, it is not surprising that many of these studies have determined that a drug produced by the funding drug company is "beneficial." Of course, these studies also pointed out the serious side effects of these drugs, while also concluding that the drug manufactured by the drug company paying for the research was worth the risk.

However, there is still research being done into treating not the symptoms but the actual cause of illness or body malfunction. Often this research has been sponsored by the United Nations which is addressing problems in countries where the funds are not available to buy high-priced drugs that really only treat symptoms and cause many other side effects. Zinc deficiency has been investigated for many years, but as the need to find a cure for many conditions and symptoms is being demanded by more patients, many more studies are being done. In this newsletter we will discuss zinc and zinc deficiency.

ZINC

Ancient Egyptian texts advocate the use of zinc, and it has continued to be recommended for help in the treatment of a number of diseases and conditions. Zinc is one of 14 essential minerals that are considered necessary for the proper function of the body.

Scientists have shown that zinc stimulates the activity of at least 100 enzymes--substances that promote reactions in our body. Some medical researchers believe that zinc acts as a neurotransmitter and if zinc levels are too low, this could be a cause of abnormal behavior.

CONDITIONS LINKED TO ZINC DEFICIENCY

ADHD & ADD

Many parents have felt that tightening of their stomach when they received the call from their children's school telling them that their child had ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or ADD (attention deficit disorder). The normal solution from the school is not to have the child taken to a doctor and tested for any physical problems but to put them on a drug that is chemically similar to cocaine.

Many doctors have shown that children presenting the supposed symptoms of ADHD or ADD were actually suffering from real physical problems. Sometimes these children simply required a diet change because they were allergic to certain foods. Sometimes they were just ingesting too much sugar. Other times they were found to have thyroid problems or other medical problems.

Other children have had problems with zinc or other essential metals. Once treated effectively, the cause of the symptoms was no longer present and the symptoms of ADHD and ADD were gone-all without using these dangerous drugs.

"Zinc deficiency mimics symptoms of ADHD," said Dr. L. Eugene Arnold, a child psychiatrist at Ohio State's Nisonger Center." He continued, "Preliminary work suggests the ADHD population may have a higher prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency."

Zinc Deficiency In Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorderwas published in Biological Psychiatry in1996. 43 children aged between 6 and 16 years of age (average age 10) who had been labeled as having ADHD were compared with 28 other non-ADHD labeled children who were matched for age and sex.

The study found that zinc levels in the ADHD group were significantly lower than in the non-ADHD labeled group. The authors concluded, "Zinc is an essential co-factor in a huge number of different processes in the brain and body. With respect to ADHD symptoms, the authors point out that zinc deficiencies have been linked to a 'hyperadrenal' syndrome (overworked adrenals) and also with reduced production of melatonin and serotonin, either of which could plausibly contribute to the kinds of behavioral disturbances found in ADHD."

Instead of meekly agreeing to give your child Ritalin or Adderall, insist that you be allowed to have your child examined by a competent medical doctor who is looking for the cause of your child's symptoms-if there really is a problem. One of the things that the doctor should investigate is whether there is a zinc or other metal deficiency.

DEPRESSION

The drug company labels for antidepressants admit that they are not sure how these drugs actually work. Unlike other medical conditions, there are no medical tests to determine if someone has a deficiency in the chemicals that the antidepressants are intended to increase.

However, more researchers are concluding that there is a strong link between zinc deficiency and depression. A recent paper by N.M. Tassabehji, R.S. Corniola, A. Alshingiti, and C.W. Levenson for the Department of Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences at Florida State University stated, "There is mounting evidence suggesting a link between serum zinc levels and clinical depression." (Serum is the clear watery fluid that separates from clotted blood.)

The following are some of the conclusions of the studies cited by Tuormaa:

• A variety of mental and behavioral changes have been associated with zinc deficiency in humans, including apathy, lethargy, amnesia, irritability, depression and paranoia, as well as mental retardation. (A.S. Prasad, P. Rabbani, A. Abbash: Experimental zinc deficiency in humans. Annals of Internal Medicine)
• Low zinc levels were found in 112 acute psychiatric patients. (D. Sprinivasan, S. Marr, R. Wareign, et al: Magnesium, zinc and copper in acute psychiatric patients. Magnesium Bulletin, published in 1982.
• In children, zinc deficiency has been associated with mental retardation (D. Dantford, J. Smith, A. Huber: Pica and Mineral Status in the Mentally Retarded. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published in 1982.)

In an article entitled Zinc Deficiency, Metal Metabolism, And Behavior Disorders written by William Walsh, published by the Health Research Institute, Walsh states, "Many of the patients of the Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center suffer from behavior disorders. The most common ones are attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and conduct disorder (CD)."

Walsh continues, "A high percentage of behavior disordered persons exhibit abnormal levels of copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, calcium, magnesium and manganese in blood, urine, and tissues, based on chemical analysis results from thousands of patients...Most of these patients have symptoms of zinc deficiency along with depressed levels of zinc in their blood plasma."

One of the most frightening side effects of antidepressants is violence. Walsh refers to a study of more than 4,000 behavior patients and concluded that lower levels of zinc increased violence in males.

Walsh concludes, "We find that zinc deficient individuals usually respond well to inexpensive supplementation with zinc and augmenting nutrients. Many patients who previously experienced years of counseling, psychotherapy, aggressive medication programs, and/or residential treatment become greatly improved and respond to less intensive (and less expensive) therapies."

In light of the studies cited above and the countless more cited in previous newsletters and on the web, how can anyone blindly take an antidepressant or antipsychotic drug without first determining that they are not zinc deficient? Is it not negligence if a doctor prescribes one of these drugs without first ascertaining if there is a physical cause?

HOW DO WE GET ZINC IN OUR BODY?

Our body gets zinc from supplements we take and from the food we eat. While most of us get the majority of our zinc from eating red meat and poultry, zinc is found In many foods. Oysters, beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy products all contain zinc.

HOW CAN WE TEST FOR THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ZINC?

The simple answer is that it is complicated. There is no single laboratory test that is always accurate. Zinc serum levels may appear normal but may not be in fact. Some practitioners use urine and hair tests but these can also be misleading. Most doctors generally use several different tests and also look to see if some of the symptoms of zinc deficiency are reduced if given zinc supplements. There are more tests being developed and, in combination and in the hands of a good doctor, can provide indications of zinc deficiency and the proper means to correct the problem.

CONCLUSION

Sometimes it seems that most of us don't want a simple solution. Much of this information about zinc has been known for decades. Yet, the marketing power of the drug companies drowns out common sense approaches.

As we tell our patients who arrive at Novus for drug detox from OxyContin, oxycodone, Vicodin, methadone, heroin, alcohol, antidepressants, benzodiazepines like Xanax, or for prescription drug addiction detox, they need to go for further treatment after they complete their detox program. If it is someone who is addicted, then they should go to a rehab facility and then go to a medical doctor who will do a thorough physical exam and look for the real physical cause. If it is someone who is just dependent, then they should go directly to the medical doctor.

None of our problems can be solved by treating only the symptoms. We need to confront this and if we really want to handle our problems we have to find the real cause.