Nutrients may become a new treatment option for ADHD sufferers after a study found the treatment was much more effective than placebo.
The University of Canterbury trial is the first to show the benefits of micronutrients for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) sufferers is not just due to the placebo effect, the author of the study Professor Julia Rucklidge said.
She said trial participants often get better as they're being cared for by clinicians, so it was important to compare micronutrients with placebo.
About five per cent of Kiwis suffer from ADHD and some children can't tolerate or don't respond to regular medications.
"The study needs to be replicated before we can give clear advice to people affected by ADHD," Dr Rucklidge said.
"However, if replicated, it will offer people with ADHD another treatment option."
Dr Rucklidge said participants taking the nutrients had no adverse effects.
Nutrients have been used as a treatment for a range of ailments, particularly mental illness, for decades, but there is a lack of scientific research to support the treatment, she said.
"As such, many scientists and clinicians have dismissed nutrients as a viable way forward due to this unfortunate history."
Dr Rucklidge plans to run a similar trial with ADHD children, and is also testing the benefits of nutrient treatments for people with depression, sleep problems and addictions.
Share
