ADD and Environmental Influences

 “ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES:  With a growing global awareness of how we are affected by toxins, synthetic substances, and pollutants in the environment comes the theory that ADD is caused by environmental factors.  At this point in time, this theory cannot be completely ruled out or supported because nowhere near all the data is in.  This is a theory that will be examined and reexamined for a very long time to come.  New understanding in molecular biology, toxicology, and human sensitivities may lead to deeper insights into ADD as well as other problems.     However, to say with confidence that sugar, food additives, dyes, preservatives, and other such products do not cause ADD type symptoms is not only scientific foolishness, but is ludicrous.  We remember vividly an eight year old male who was very physically aggressive.  During the intake interview, we notice constant running nose.  When we asked his mother about it, she reported that he always had a runny nose.  We recommended no dairy of any kind for two weeks.  The mother was very compliant, and she reported back to us that when he had no dairy, he had no runny nose, plus his aggression was dramatically improved.  This is just one case in a complicated array of cases, but environmental agents can affect certain individuals.   We are just scratching the surface of how some individuals are affected by certain products.  We are well aware of how humans and wildlife are affected by deadly toxins like lead ,dioxin, and mercury, but we suspect that that is just the tip of the iceberg.”  pp.32-33.  From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Drs. Vicki and Charles Kelsey.  260.432.8777