3 ms·

In my research, ADHD seems to be basically inflammation[1] of the brain. Think: bacteria, free radicals, active immune response, underactive detox and circulati

by ajcarpy2005 13y ago

In my research, ADHD seems to be basically inflammation[1] of the brain. Think: bacteria, free radicals, active immune response, underactive detox and circulation, etc. Some approaches which are most useful seem to be: Magnesium, Green Tea &/OR L-Theanine, GABA, SAMe, Milk Thistle, Fish Oil, Cholesterol, Vitamin D (Sunlight), etc. I would say there is no silver bullet. But I would say unambiguously that vitamins and minerals and occasionally herbs are low hanging fruit compared to a pharmaceutical approach. Drugs aren't used as "building blocks" in cells or biochemistry. Drugs modulate various activity in our body which can help but typically is not without some kind of side effect or not as affective as providing enough of the "raw materials" our body needs. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder definitely exists although the way it's predominately treated really doesn't help solve the deeper causes of the disorder. [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24240495 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24240495

JohnBooty 13y ago
I don't doubt that inflammation is one of the myriad things that can cause attention issues. One thing to realize re: supplements is that, by biological design, it's really hard to get chemicals into your brain simply by digesting them. There are a lot of steps between eating something and it winding up in your brain. I mean, the very first thing that happens to ingested items is a bath in the insane mixture of acid and bacteria that is your stomach. A lot more has to happen before it even reaches your brain-blood barrier, which is a thing specifically designed by evolution to keep things out of your brain.
- ajcarpy2005 13y ago
  The mechanisms of action that I'm referring to don't depend upon physically transporting molecules into the brain. Also, as it turns out, even inflammation in your gut or elsewhere changes the signals that the nerves send to the brain. And levels of neurotransmitters in the brain are absolutely impacted by what's going on in the rest of the body...regardless of the BBB. What specific point are you trying to make about the Blood-Brain Barrier? And stomach acid? Sorry but neither of those things somehow render the foods and chemicals we ingest meaningless! Your HCL won't somehow break down Magnesium! Even Vitamins will mostly make it through intact. I'm not a scientist but I don't get my information from Men's Health magazine either...I research reputable scientific studies and make reasonable connections.
  - JohnBooty 13y ago
    Sorry but neither of those things somehow render the foods and chemicals we ingest meaningless! Nobody's saying that. The things we ingest have a profound influence on us. However, the connection between our brains and the things we inject is extremely circuitous. "Reasonable connections" often don't apply, and things we do might often have the opposite effect of the one we intend. All that said, I think personal experimentation with supplements (within safe limits) is a very good thing. I have tried a bunch!

JohnBooty 13y ago

I don't doubt that inflammation is one of the myriad things that can cause attention issues. One thing to realize re: supplements is that, by biological design, it's really hard to get chemicals into your brain simply by digesting them. There are a lot of steps between eating something and it winding up in your brain. I mean, the very first thing that happens to ingested items is a bath in the insane mixture of acid and bacteria that is your stomach. A lot more has to happen before it even reaches your brain-blood barrier, which is a thing specifically designed by evolution to keep things out of your brain.

ajcarpy2005 13y ago
The mechanisms of action that I'm referring to don't depend upon physically transporting molecules into the brain. Also, as it turns out, even inflammation in your gut or elsewhere changes the signals that the nerves send to the brain. And levels of neurotransmitters in the brain are absolutely impacted by what's going on in the rest of the body...regardless of the BBB. What specific point are you trying to make about the Blood-Brain Barrier? And stomach acid? Sorry but neither of those things somehow render the foods and chemicals we ingest meaningless! Your HCL won't somehow break down Magnesium! Even Vitamins will mostly make it through intact. I'm not a scientist but I don't get my information from Men's Health magazine either...I research reputable scientific studies and make reasonable connections.
- JohnBooty 13y ago
  Sorry but neither of those things somehow render the foods and chemicals we ingest meaningless! Nobody's saying that. The things we ingest have a profound influence on us. However, the connection between our brains and the things we inject is extremely circuitous. "Reasonable connections" often don't apply, and things we do might often have the opposite effect of the one we intend. All that said, I think personal experimentation with supplements (within safe limits) is a very good thing. I have tried a bunch!