Helpful Herbs for ADD - By: Ben Mester

As Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, continues to become more and more of an apparent problem in modern society, shouldn't we at least ask the question whether natural medicines, such as herbs, might be useful to assuage some of the symptoms of ADD? Should we really be giving children powerful prescription drugs, things like Ritalin, which is very similar to the street drug called speed. Do these drugs have adverse effects on the not yet fully developed body and mind? Luckily for myself, I grew up just before prescription drugs started showing up on the scene. As a adolescent, I had so much energy that sometimes I couldn't fall asleep at night, and I would lay awake in bed for hours, and at times, all throughout the night. But I'm still glad that there wasn't medication for ADD, or I surely would have been on it. Instead of drugs, I found natural ways to harness my overabundance of energy and channel it into useful areas.

From what is known about ADD, it seems like a combination of two things. The first is an overabundance of energy. The second is an inability to focus. When you pair those two things together, you get an unfortunate combination. In order to effectively battle ADD naturally, you most likely will have to treat both root causes. Unfortunately in the case of the first root cause, an overabundance of energy usually can only be treated by one thing: less sugar, more exercise. When I finally got fed up with laying awake in bed all night, I finally just started exercising. I discovered that if I would exercise pretty strenuously a couple hours before bedtime, I would be able to sleep easy that night. Try exercise. It won't just curb the energy levels. Scientific study has shown that exercise releases positive chemicals in the brain, chemicals like serotonin that help us feel healthy and happy. Exercise is a component in healthy brain chemistry. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if a child has too much energy and has trouble focusing, they probably shouldn't be eating as much sugar, especially at breakfast. Try eating high protein breakfasts.

There are many different herbs and herbal supplements that are known for helping increase brain function and focus. Below are some examples along with what they do in the body.

1. Ginkgo Biloba. Ginkgo Biloba has been shown to have amazing mental enhancement properties. It has been shown to increase memory, stimulate concentration, and facilitate general enhanced brain function. This is a great place to start in the realm of herbs for ADD.

2. Tea. Many teas already contain a combination of herbs that help to calm the body and mind. Teas such as Chamomile and a variety of green teas help to release things like stress and tension, and they boost an overall sense of serenity. Try giving your child a cup of Chamomile tea in the morning with your high protein breakfast. There are many positive testimonials about Chamomile having great results.

3. Vitamin B Complex. Though this is not an herb, vitamin B complex has the 6 various forms of vitamin B that are each helpful in brain function.

4. Omega 3 Fatty Acid. This supplement is an amazing brain enhancer. It does a wide variety of things. Not only does it make the brain more sensitive to positive hormones, like serotonin, it also helps the communication of brain cells, thereby retaining more brain function. Omega 3 has even been shown to reduce depression.

About the Author

Thanks for reading about possible supplements and herbs for ADD. For more about natural health and different possible remedies, check out another of my articles about homeopathy and depression.

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