Dr Peter Dingle has a Bachelor of Education in Science, a Bachelor of Environmental Science with first class honours and a PhD. He conducts ongoing research into diet and nutrition, lifestyle and environmental impacts on health, well being and productivity.
To find out more got to www.drdingle.com

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Whilst the area
of nutrition is often discussed only in terms of physical health, a vast amount
of research links the use of dietary supplements with positive effects on
behaviour and mental health. A recent study of more than 2000 people
found low plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations were associated with higher
depression scores, and low vitamin B-6 concentrations were associated lower attention
and executive function. 1

In another study
from the University of Sheffield regular supplementation of hospitalised older
people with multivitamins and minerals improved mental health, compared to a
placebo.2 The prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
included 225 hospitalised, acutely ill older people with an average age of
75.6. Participants received either a normal hospital diet plus multivitamin and
mineral supplements providing 100% of the Reference Nutrient Intakes for six
weeks or a normal hospital diet plus a placebo for six weeks. Levels of folate
and vitamin B12 in red blood cells and plasma, respectively, increased
significantly in the supplement group but decreased in the placebo group.
Beneficial effects for symptoms of depression scores were observed for patients
in the supplementation group regardless of the initial level of depression of
the individual. The authors wrote, “Many epidemiological and case-control
studies have shown associations between folate and vitamin B12 deficiency and
depression. In a study of 3,500 over-65-year-olds in Chicago over an average of
7.2 years of follow-up, the researchers noted that increased intakes of
vitamins from food and supplements B6 and B12 were associated with a ‘decreased
likelihood of incident depression.’” Vitamin B12 is involved in the synthesis
of monoamines, some of which act as neurotransmitters and may also inhibit the
accumulation of the amino acid homocysteine, which may lead to toxic reactions
that enhance depression. For every 10-milligram increase in the intake of
vitamin B6 and for every 10-microgram increase in vitamin B12,
the risk of developing symptoms of depression
was decreased by two percent per year.3

Monday, August 13, 2012

There is
increasing evidence emerging from the scientific community which suggests that
mass-medication in the form of water fluoridation is in fact having a serious
and adverse effect on the public’s health. A
recent report from the US National Research Council 1 concluded that
adverse effects of high fluoride concentrations in drinking-water may be of
concern. Animal studies have shown Fluoride may cause neurotoxicity, including
effects on learning and memory 2,3. Recent experiments where the rat
hippocampal neurons were incubated with various concentrations of sodium
fluoride showed that fluoride neurotoxicity may target hippocampal neurons.

Fluoride readily crosses the placenta exposing
the developing brain, which is much more susceptible to injury caused by
toxicants than is the mature brain, may possibly lead to damage of a permanent
nature 4

In a study
conducted by Tianjin Medical University in China, a comparison in the
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was measured between 60 children living in a high
fluoride area and 58 children living in a low fluoride area. The IQ of the 60
children living in the high fluoride area was lower than that of the 58
children living in the low fluoride area. 21.6% of the children in the high
fluoride area were retarded compared to 3.4% of retarded children living in the
low fluoride area 5.

In a study at
Tokyo University Medical School, water fluoridation was linked to Down
syndrome. The study found that - as well as the aging of mothers - the number
of excess Down syndrome births caused each year by water fluoridation was
estimated to be several thousand cases throughout the world 6.

In the most
recent meta analysis of 27 eligible epidemiological studies found that children
in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived
in low fluoride areas 7. The conclusions of the study “support the
possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on children’s
neurodevelopment.”

Some of the other adverse health effects of
fluoride include lowered levels of collagen
synthesis, depleted energy reserves and lowered immunity, irritable bowel
syndrome,thyroid disorders, Skeletal fluorosis, Osteosarcoma, Osteoporosis and
bone fractures as well as Alzheimer's disease.

Friday, August 10, 2012

A recent article 1 highlights the
lack of openness in medical research and reporting. The study found that “only
one in seven authors fully disclosed their conflict of interest in their
published articles….. and that approaches to controlling the effects of
conflicts of interest that rely on author candidness are inadequate and
furthermore, journal practices are not robust enough and need to be improved.

The problem with this is that “high-profile “opinion
leaders” may exert considerable influence on prescribing practices of doctors and
the doctors may not even be aware that the opinion leaders are getting paid by
the pharmaceutical companies.

For the doctors, researchers and politicians,
as well as the pharmaceutical companies, “vested interests” include billions of
dollars spent marketing to doctors and interns each year. It is money-based
medicine. In fact it’s more than $10 billion each year in the U.S. alone. The
term “marketing” is perhaps a little loose because this spending involves
sponsored holidays, retreats, conferences (all expenses paid), gifts—some
non-taxed of course, like expensive bottles of wine—and the list goes on. The
major medical journals recognise this now and call a medical professional who
receives only $10,000 (U.S.) from a single pharmaceutical company “independent.”
If you do a few bits of independent work for a few big companies, as long as
you get only $10,000 from each one,
it is considered acceptable. No other profession is allowed to do this.

It is
usually not your general practitioner who receives the extra money, but the
specialists and key figures in the area. It is a little scary when you
recognise that the people who are outspoken on a health topic may be receiving
some benefits from these big organizations, but even worse, no one can
scrutinise their research because, as the medical journals recognise, the
pharmaceutical industry has very deep pockets. I have written extensively on
this in my book The Great Cholesterol
Deception. An entire chapter of the book is devoted to researchers’ vested
interests, another to doctors’ vested interests and another to the influence of
the pharmaceutical industry.

After two
decades as an editor of The New England
Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical journals in the
world, Marcia Angell wrote, “It is simply no longer possible to believe much of
the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted
physicians or authoritative medical guidelines.” In 2008 she wrote, “Over the
past two decades, the pharmaceutical industry has gained unprecedented control
over the evaluation of its own products. Drug companies now finance most
clinical research on prescription drugs, and there is mounting evidence that
they often skew the research they sponsor to make their drugs look better and
safer.”1 This is a person on the front lines of the best medical
research in the world. Little wonder the rest of us lack confidence in the
research.

A recent study 1 of adults with asthma and
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) found that those with lower levels
of certain antioxidants in their blood were more vulnerable to the harmful
effects of air pollution. Air pollution can aggravate both asthma and COPD,
producing symptoms that can be strong enough to lead to hospitalization. This study is important because it indicates that improved
nutrition may protect against the common health threat of air pollution and
that the low levels recommended for the average person (RDA/I’s) may not be
enough.

The study found smokers and those older than 75 years of age
were especially vulnerable to air pollution effects but also participants with
low levels of vitamin C in their blood were also more vulnerable to PM10. This
effect was not seen with other antioxidants and genes.

Air, water and soil pollution place increased demands on
protective nutrients, due to these pollutants’ ability to generate free
radicals, oxidation and inflammation. They also have the ability to block
nutrient digestion, absorption and utilisation, as well as to drain the body of
existing nutrients. In fact, many of the negative effects of toxins influence
nutrient cycles in the body. For example, selenium and cysteine are necessary
for the production and function of glutathione, which detoxifies and helps
eliminate heavy metals such as mercury from the body. An elevated mercury load
puts extra demand on the body’s supply of selenium and cysteine, to name just
two of its anti-nutrient effects. So considering nutritional needs without
considering the toxic load of an individual would seem ridiculous and,
incidentally, is the reason for the growing field of nutritional toxicology.

With increasing technology and especially the expanding
industrialisation of the last century, humans are exposed to a larger number of
new potential toxins at greater concentrations. Living in the world today, it
is impossible to avoid exposure to environmental toxins such as xenoestrogens
(which include the organochlorine pesticides, heavy metals and plastics),
cigarette smoke, pesticides, industrial poisons, heavy metals and even food
additives (preservatives, colours and flavours). Inhalation, ingestion and
absorption of heavy metals as well as inorganic and organic chemical compounds
can lead to a build-up of toxins in the body. This is not to mention the
hundreds of toxic ingredients we now have in our homes masquerading as cleaning
products, personal care products and cosmetics. This accumulation of toxins can
alter biochemical balance by chelating nutrients (making them bio-unavailable),
mimicking hormones and altering proteins, resulting in metabolic dysfunction.
The most disruptive and dangerous effect upon oestrogen receptors. Furthermore,
toxic compounds interfere with each other’s exit pathways. If alternative
pathways aren’t available, this will create a metabolic “gridlock.”

Studies suggest that an increased intake of particular
nutrients may benefit the body and protect it against damage from pollution.
These include beta-carotene, vitamins C, A, E, folic acid and selenium. These
nutrients are called antioxidants. For the first stage (phase 1) of
detoxification to be effective, high levels of N acetyl cysteine and vitamins
B2, B3, B6 and B12, folate, flavonoids, vitamin C and iron are required.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Despite years millions of dollars the Government-sponsored
(and industry-influenced) food guidelines are not changing food consumption
patterns, as many people do not meet current dietary recommendations,1
and fruit and vegetable consumption (which is linked to greater protection from
chronic diseases) remains low.2,3 Two in three people in Australia
don’t eat the recommended intake of fruit and four in five are not consuming
the recommended vegetable intake, with children consuming less fruit and
vegetables today than a decade ago.4 A recent U.K. Food Standards
Agency report found that, among adults between the ages of 19 and 64, only 13%
of men and 15% of women eat the recommended five portions of fruit and
vegetables every day. At the present time only 32% of Americans consume five
servings of fruit and vegetables per day with only 20% and adolescents meeting
this goal.5 Instead, our diet is being replaced with significantly
increased amounts of sugar,6 refined carbohydrates7 and
processed fats.

While food guidelines aim to be simplistic to
reduce confusion; this often
fails. The food guidelines are too general for chronic disease prevention; if
the guidelines were adjusted to be more specific, chronic disease risk could be
reduced.8,9,10

A similar problem occurs within the food
pyramid, which was developed in 1992 by advertising and marketing researchers
to develop an image the consumer could identify with and easily understand. The
pyramid was then widely distributed and has been used as an educational tool,
basis for dietary assessment, and part of policy documents. It has succeeded in
creating high levels of consumer awareness and is recognised by 67% or more of
American adults.11 This wasn’t the first time that government and
industry had made attempts to influence how Americans eat: the first U.S.
guide, “Food for Young Children,” dates back to 1916. And the “four food
groups” developed in the 1950s were strongly influenced by the food
industry—after all, the regulators invited
the food industry to help shape the guidelines. To highlight the strong
influence of industry on US food guidelines, in 2011 the US Department of
Agriculture, the same organisation who created the food pyramid, labeled pizza
as a vegetable because it has tomato paste. Any wonder the food pyramid was so
wrong.

Figure
5. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Pyramid.

Source:
Chiuve and Willet 2007.12

The 1992 food pyramid encouraged consumers to
eat a huge amount of breads, cereal products and potatoes. This could very well
have resulted in a greater risk of chronic disease (including CVD, obesity and
type 2 diabetes), due to the fact it lacked emphasis and detail on the
recommended type of carbohydrates.13,14 This resulted in consumer
confusion15,16 and poor eating habits.17 Food guidelines,
such as the food pyramid, advocate bread consumption numerous times a day.18
Bread is a contributing factor to a higher glycaemic load, promoting chronic
diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.19,20
Therefore bread consumption should be limited or even eliminated to promote
better health. In the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating21 it is
recommended to eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and
noodles) but we did not evolve eating these foods.

In 2005 the food pyramid was revised into an
abstract version of a pyramid called MyPyramid. This new pyramid still
encouraged the consumption of grains; one of the differences was that it
advised consumers to choose grains that have the word “whole” in front of the
grain name. Sure it changed a little, but not enough to reflect what we should
really be eating. The Harvard School of Public Health made a scathing criticism
of this iteration of the food pyramid.22

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
replaced MyPyramid with a new icon called MyPlate. The plate is divided roughly
into quarters, with the largest section again being grains. Dr Andrew Weil,
founder of the Arizona Centre for Integrative Medicine, wrote “there are some conceptual chips and cracks in this new dinnerware.
Overall, I fear another opportunity has been lost to give Americans the best
up-to-date information about what constitutes an ideal diet.”23 Dr
Weil offers as an alternative the Anti-inflammatory Food Pyramid, which promotes optimum nutrition and thus optimum
health.24

Another are of concern is the Recommended
Daily Intakes/ Allowances (RDI/A’s) also known as the percentage of daily
values on the side of your breakfast food packet depending on the country in
which they are used. As nutritional research and knowledge evolves, food
guidelines can become redundant if updates and revisions are not continually
made. The Australian RDIs have been updated only a few times since 1954, yet
the Japanese, Canadian and U.S. dietary recommendations are updated every five
years to match the current scientific research.25-28

By updating food guidelines in line with
scientific research, chronic diseases can be reduced.29 At the same
time, not updating with current research may result in ineffective food
guidelines that misinform and fail to protect the public. An example is the
change in recognising the importance of omega 3 essential fatty acids for
chronic disease prevention. In the 1960s it was thought that both omega 3 and
omega 6 were equally important, however more recent research highlights the
importance of omega 3 over omega 630 and that we are consuming far
too many omega 6 oils in our diet. A food guideline that is updated regularly
can make the necessary changes to promote omega 3 over omega 6; however, if
updates are not made regularly, the health of consumers will suffer.

Recommended Daily Intake/Allowance (RDI/A)

Many professionals suggest that our food is
o.k. because it provides the RDI. This argument has probably led people to eat
poor quality food and think that’s o.k. The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI)
values were established by authorities more than 50 years ago with the aim of
preventing gross nutrient deficiency diseases such as scurvy and beriberi. They
provide the equivalent of the nutrient bare minimum, the lowest common
denominator for health, and have no relevance at all for optimum health and the
avoidance of chronic illness. Optimum health cannot be obtained by following
the RDI/A. These were passable as a guideline 50 years ago but were never meant
to protect us from chronic illness. Yet authorities now repeatedly refer to
them as the definitive levels to achieve. They are in fact the lowest common
denominator of nutrition and aiming just to achieve them is likely a major
contributing factor to chronic illness in Australia.

The RDI system shows a serious lack of
sensitivity toward individuals with elevated nutrient demands.31 It
does not allow for differences in people’s nutritional needs. Various groups,
including the elderly, people who experience increased physical or emotional
stress, people who are of above average body weight, or pregnant women may
exhibit elevated nutrient demands. The recommendations also fail to take into
account geographic differences such as living in areas with nutrient-deficient
soils or high levels of environmental pollution.32

Socioeconomic factors may also affect the
adequacy of RDI/A values for certain groups. For example, the U.S. Recommended
Dietary Allowances (U.S. RDAs) claim to represent the daily intake levels
sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of 97% to 98% of all healthy
individuals in a group. However, the homeless and poor are not healthy as
groups and inadequate dietary quality has been documented in these sectors of
society.33

Recommended intakes don’t take into account
the interactions of nutrients or toxins—in particular, the synergy and the fact
that a shortage of one nutrient may bring about inefficient use of other
nutrients. While most people know of vitamin C’s antioxidant effects, very few
are aware of the benefits of it consumed with other antioxidants. Extra vitamin
C spares the destruction of other nutrients in the body.

Professor Bruce Ames, one of the most
respected names in modern nutrition and one of the early developers of
toxicological standards, suggests that we need to move beyond the RDI and that
age-related diseases like heart disease, cancer and dementia may be unintended
consequences of mechanisms developed during evolution to protect against
short-term nutrient shortages. In what he calls the “triage theory,” he
suggests that because natural selection favours short-term survival—to escape
from a bear or survive a cold winter—over long-term health, short-term survival
was achieved by prioritising the use of these scarce nutrients that are also
necessary for less urgent, but just as important, functions including healthy
ageing. The nutrients are allocated to short-term essential (urgent) tasks
versus keeping you healthy in the long term and avoiding chronic illness. The
triage theory proposes that modest deficiency of any vitamin or mineral could
increase age-related diseases. This theory has important implications for
determining the optimum intake of all vitamins and minerals, as well as major
implications for preventive medicine.34 Current RDAs and RDIs
provide for urgent short-term requirements only and not the nutrients for
important tasks and optimal health.

In his recent study of vitamin K, Professor
Ames and his colleagues showed that current recommendations for vitamin K,
which are based on levels to ensure adequate blood coagulation, fail to ensure
long-term optimal levels of the vitamin and may accelerate bone fragility,
arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer.
So the levels approved for the short-term do not help us to avoid chronic
illness, which is the biggest burden we face in the 21st century. In
another study the same group investigating selenium, reported that the same set
of age-related diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and
immune dysfunction and an increase risk of diseases of aging are associated
with modest selenium deficiency 35. The overall conclusion of this growing body
of evidence is that optimizing nutrition and metabolism will delay aging and
the diseases of aging in humans 36,37.

Perhaps easier to understand a well-known and
good example of the triage system is the pH (acid/alkali levels) of the blood
and mineral balance. The optimal pH of the blood is around 7.35. If the pH
varies slightly from this level, as a result of eating processed foods which
increase the acidity of the blood, it dramatically affects many of the 90 or so
enzyme functions in the blood. These enzymes literally do all the work, repair,
cleaning up, transport etc in the blood. If they slow down too much we get very
sick and die quickly. To make sure this doesn’t happen the body has a few
mechanisms to keep the pH in perfect balance. The main mechanism is to allocate
or triage alkali minerals like magnesium and calcium from where they should be
working in optimal conditions, such as in the cells and in bones, to balance
the pH in the blood. While this protects our urgent health requirements it
increases our long risk of chronic health conditions such as heart attack,
cancer and osteoporosis as a result of the shortage of these minerals. The body
allocates the nutrients for short-term survival, the “essential” functions are
protected from nutrient deficiency over other “nonessential” functionsneeded only for long-term health.

It is time we rethink our nutritional advice
to eliminate the vested interests and to come in line with the tens of
thousands of nutritional studies that have been done over the past decades. The
current standards do not represent the scientific evidence that is currently
available.

Children have lots of study to do but are rarely shown
effective study techniques, let alone how to study without stress. As an ex-
school teacher, academic and a life long student, I've spent a great deal of
time refining my study habits to make them not only effective, but good for my
health! I've also spent time teaching myself learning skills such as
speed-reading and improving my memory and note taking skills using mind maps
and another technique a friend of mine taught me called CapMaps. The little bit
of time I've spent learning these techniques has been repaid many times over. I
now teach these skills to my students, pensioner groups and corporate
executives.

So to begin, let's get rid of words like home work and make
it home play. We'll do a whole lot more and a lot more easily if we enjoy doing
it, so let's make it as pleasurable as possible - starting with the words we
use.

To study effectively you need good health and a good blood
supply. Your brain uses more than 20 per cent of your body's energy, so it has
to have the right nutrients all the time. When you study, don't scrunch up over
the desk. It stops you breathing deeply and slows oxygen getting to your brain.
Remember to stretch frequently, put your shoulders back and take a deep breath.
This will help feed your brain.

Food for Thought

A nourishing diet is essential to give your brain the right
nutrition and will increase your levels of concentration. Even small decreases
in glucose can cause significant "brain fog", while shortages of antioxidants
and excess bad fats lead to short-term and long-term memory problems. Not good
for study. Here are some useful pointers to ensuring you eat well to make your
study time effective:

* Eat breakfast. It provides glucose for your brain. In
fact, not eating breakfast causes you to be 20 - 40 per cent "dumber"
in studying and exams. People who don't eat breakfast also put on more weight
and are unhealthier than people who do.Raw muesli or porridge with nuts is a terrific way to fire up your
brain. Add a piece of chopped fruit. Don't add sugar, but add as much fruit and
crushed nuts and seeds as you like. Or maybe even an old fashioned cooked
breakfast with some tomato, mushroom, spinach and beans thrown in.

* Don't eat and study at the same time. Take a break. Focus
on one task at a time.

* In between meals nibbling on raw (not cooked) nuts and
dried fruit will feed your brain. Leave the chocolate for after the exams and
forget the potato chips.

* Decrease bad oils including butter and margarine, oils in
bread and greasy foods such as takeaways. They block your arteries and thicken
your blood, slowing the amount of fuel getting to your brain (ie oxygen and
glucose). They also contribute to some long-term damage in the brain.

* Decrease sugar and processed foods. They create a
short-term glucose high in the blood and a long-term glucose low, causing foggy
thinking.

* Increase good oils high in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
and include fish oils and flaxseed. Sixty per cent of your healthy brain is
made up of fats and these EFAs are the biggest part.Good fats = good thinking. They provide the building blocks
for the brain, the infrastructure for you to be smarter.

* Increase dark green vegetables such as spinach, silver
beet, broccoli and bok choy. They provide essential vitamins and minerals for
your brain to function and think clearly. One study found better memory results
from eating greens. They put muscles in your brain.

* Eliminate over processed grain products.Eat only wholegrain and wholemeal grains;
they contain essential minerals and vitamins for your brain. Rye bread gives
you the lowest sugar hit. Even better go for the new range of sprouted breads.

* A little coffee or tea is okay, but don't have it after 4
pm to keep you awake and certainly don't have it at night to keep studying. If
you need coffee to keep you awake at night in order to keep studying, you're
fooling yourself about your level of effectiveness. Good sleep is the best way
of dealing with exams. If you have a deadline, wake early and start when your
mind is really alert.

* Gingko Biloba taken for two to three weeks has been shown
to improve memory and thinking.

* Vitamin Bs are very good for feeding your nervous system,
especially if you're feeling stressed.

Duringperiods
of study, exercise at least 45 minutes each day. Exercise gets blood flowing to
your brain, supplying oxygen, antioxidants and glucose.It also releases substances such as
noradrenalin in your body to prepare you for exams and reduce stress. Research
shows that small bouts of exercise in between study and before exams can make a
significant difference in performance.

During periods of intensive study you need hourly breaks (or
even 30 minute breaks). Make your break a brisk 10 minutes walk. It will help
everything you have done sink into the powerful, subconscious part of your
brain.After two hours, take a 20
minute brisk walk and give yourself a good break. Don't fool yourself that
you're still working well. You're probably functioning at around or less than
50 per cent. It's okay for mundane tasks, but not if you need really focused
concentration.

Set regular study patterns. Don't do everything late at
night.Your brain is already
getting tired. The morning is the best time to study and that is not just after
midnight. Learn how to use your brain effectively.

Do a memory course or a mind-mapping course. It can make
remembering specific information so much easier, and will improve your general
memory as well. After a memory course you can learn more than a hundred facts
and figures in less than an hour, have fun doing it and have perfect recall.

Talk about the ideas and information you have learnt with
friends, a study buddy. It will help lock it into your long-term memory and
you'll learn new information from each other.

Learn to Relax

Taking deep breaths is an important start, because it sends
relaxation messages to your brain. There are many other things you can do. Best
learning occurs in the alpha and theta brain wave states. These are when you
are most relaxed and not stressed. When you are in a stressed busy state you
are in an beta state and you cant learn well. A simple meditation can take only
five to ten minutes and can prevent you stressing and get you into an alpha
brain wave learning state. Try sitting still, and slowly, with each breath,
count from 50 to one. Focus on the numbers only. If you get distracted, go back
to the last number and keep going.

Be aware of your posture while you're studying - don't hunch
over the desk. It stops you breathing deeply and slows down the flow of oxygen
to your brain. Remember to stretch. Put your shoulders back and take a deep
breath regularly. Being hunched over a desk also tells your brain that you are
tired and not very positive, so that's how it starts to respond.

I always tell my students to start studying and exams with
the biggest smile you can make. Sounds strange, maybe even funny, but it sends
positive messages to your brain. It increases the feel good chemicals in the
brain, increases blood flow to the brain and immediately reduces stress.
Research shows it also increases your creativity, and it's fun.

Plan your study and plan to study well.By having the right attitude and
planning your study, you can save hours and hours of what may otherwise be
wasted time.

* Set goals for the amount of time and the quality of time
for your period of study.

* Set goals for each study period, the exams and for the
year. These will help to focus and motivate you.

* Write down your goals - what you want to achieve, how you
are going to achieve it and why it's important to achieve it.

* Put your list of goals on the wall in your study.

* Don't wait for deadlines to motivate you, get in early.

* Visualise yourself being successful when you study.

* Visualise yourself in the exam feeling positive and
writing the right answers. See yourself coming out of the exam and feeling
really positive.

* After your exams or long periods of study reward yourself
(but not with junk foods).

* There are many other things you can do to improve your
thinking but the best one is to use your logic and commonsense.

To learn effectively you need to have a study environment
that's positive, enjoyable and free from distractions. It also has to be a
healthy environment.

* Study in an enjoyable environment.

* Put on some gentle music. Baroque music, such as Bach and
the music of Mozart has a very positive effect on brain waves and helps you to
learn. It may not be cool but you will be smarter.

* Open the doors and windows to the study. Fresh air is
critical to good brain function. Stuffy air or chemical smells will affect your
brain's ability to focus. One gas in particular, carbon monoxide, reduces the
oxygen available to the brain. Carbon monoxide is found in high concentrations
in car exhaust and tobacco smoke.

* Get rid of distractions. Despite what you may think, you
can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Don't waste your time by studying
at 10 per cent. Turn offthe
phone, television and all other distractions, with the exception of quiet,
light background music.

* Wherever you study, make it a positive place. Decorate it
in pleasing colours, have good light, pictures and photographs on the walls,
and put up messages, quotes and photographs that inspire you.

Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) are a
group of symptoms and not a disease. Children are classified as ADD when they
show signs of inattention, such as a lack of close attention to detail,
difficulty in sustaining attention or are easily distracted. Some children may
be underactive (hypoactive), inflexible, suffer from speech disorders and have
poor short term memory, and show sleep and appetite changes. ADHD has the added
signs of hyperactivity such as fidgeting, being always ‘on the go’, disruptive
or demonstrate other signs of hyperactivity. While there are more precise
definitions for these conditions, they are mostly subjective and open to a
large amount of interpretation. ADD/ADHD are relatively new conditions and were
probably defined as soon as a pharmaceutical company had a drug to use.

As
more investigation is done on these disorders, more controversy is raised about
possible origins and causes. It’s likely that ADD/ADHD occurs because of a complex
of factors, including illnesses and a combination of susceptibility factors
such as genetics, maternal diet during pregnancy and length of breast feeding.
The child’s exposure to various chemicals in both food and the environment and
their current diet are also probable contributing factors. Some chemicals and
foods may act as a trigger for the disorder. Whatever the cause, it seems
likely from the nature of the symptoms that ADD/ADHD has many contributing
factors. No cases are identical, especially when dealing with children.
ADD/ADHD however, is definitely not a deficiency of Ritalin or any other drug.

Surveys
suggest that as many as 49 per cent of boys and 27 per cent of girls are
described as inattentive by their teachers, while serious deficits in attention
appear to occur in at least three to 10 per cent of school-age children, making
inattention among the most prevalent of all childhood neuro-psychological
disorders. Many of these children are diagnosed as having ADD/ADHD.

Many
studies identify a worseing of symptoms with certain foods or food additives;
others link lead contamination, smoking and alcohol in pregnancy to
developmental disorders in children. The possibility of chemical substances in
the diet and the environment influencing ADD/ADHD is highly likely.

Sadly,
little real evaluation of ADD/ADHD children is actually carried out. They are
not routinely evaluated for chemical, nutritional or allergic factors, or
assessed for behavioural or environmental issues arising from their home environment.
Instead they are given drugs. This is despite the fact that there is growing
body of scientific literature showing significant nutritional deficiencies in
many of these children. There is growing evidence that a significant number of
ADD/ADHD sufferers have a high body burden of heavy metals, particularly lead,
mercury, cadmium and possibly even the trace element copper. These metals are
potent toxins which block thousands of important chemical reactions in the body
and can play havoc with the nervous system. At even moderate concentrations,
lead can lower a child’s IQ. Recent research links infant and maternal exposure
to lead with higher rates of schizophrenia.

Nutritional
deficiency is an underlying cause ofADD/ADHD in a significant number of children. Correcting these
deficiencies and inbalances can make substantial improvements in childrens’
behaviour. Sometimes improvement is almost immediate.

The
basic problem appears to be deficient levels of neurotransmitters (chemicals
that coordinate many of the body’s and mind’s activities) in brain cells.
Various chemical substances affect the transmission of messages across the
synapse, the gap between individual nerve cells. Acetylcholine, adrenalin,
noradrenaline, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin are all
examples of neurotransmitters. Some of these chemicals are responsible for
other chemical secretions and uptake. They control muscular activity, mood and
behaviour. So you can see how they might be involved in ADD/ADHD.

Over-prescription
of drugs, (particularly the amphetamine Ritalin, one brand name for methyl
phenidate) that manage the symptoms of the disorder, is common. In Western
Australia the annual use of prescription amphetamine-like tablets prescribed
for ADD/ADHD has exploded. There are many problems associated with taking these
drugs. They include anorexia, weight loss, insomnia, lability of mood,
nervousness and irritability, abdominal discomfort, excessive withdrawal
symptoms, heart arrhythmias, palpitations and psychological dependence. Suicide
is also a major complication of withdrawal from amphetamine-like drugs.
Children on Ritalin are more prone to become addicted to smoking and illicit
drugs. These drugs don’t deal with the underlying cause. The US National Institute
of Health has concluded that there is no evidence that Ritalin brings about any
long-term benefit in scholastic performance.

These
drugs have a noradrenaline-like action. Noradrenaline normally acts to
coordinate many nervous system functions. It’s thought to filter out
unimportant stimuli, reducing the number of distractions sensed by the child.
If ADD/ADHD is a noradrenaline shortage, it could be measured, but no one seems
to want to do this. It’s much easier (and more profitable?) to prescribe drugs.
If it’s a noradrenaline shortage, it can at least to some degree, be corrected
by dietary measures.

There
are many reasons as to why a child may have a poor nutrition. These include
being breast-fed for only a short period of time. Infant milk formulas and
cows’ milkare not the same as
human milk. Cows’ milk is great for a calf that needs to put on weight directly
after birth. A cow’s brain does not grow after birth. The human brain continues
to grow substantially up to the age of three, and then more slowly, up to 18
years of age. It’s not surprising then, that human milk is high in Essential
Fatty Acids (EFAs) and choline, along with many other ingredients essential for
the development of a healthy brain and nervous system. Both these nutrients are
severely deficient in many infants’ and children’s diets, particularly if the
diet is high in grains and processed foods.

One
explanation for the higher rates of ADD/ADHD in males is that males have a
higher demand for EFAs (Omega 3 oils). Males don’t appear to absorb them well
and are less efficient at converting them to an important group of chemicals
called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins regulate many activities in the body and
play an essential part in others. Many of the foods that are linked with ADD/ADHD
also inhibit the conversion of the EFAs to prostaglandins. Foods such as wheat,
dairy and salicylate-containing foods, including some of the food colours.
Conversion is also blocked by deficiencies in Vitamins B3, B6, C, biotin, zinc
and magnesium. There are many studies now that show the benefit of
supplementing the diet with fish oils and flax seed oil, not only for adults
but for kids being treated with Ritalin. What’s also interesting about the EFAs
is that many of our parents were dosed with them once or twice a week in the
form of cod liver oil.

ADD/ADHD
children appear to be deficient in a number of nutrients:

Vitamin
C;

Vitamin
B3;

Zinc;

Magnesium;
and,

Essential
fatty Acids (Omega 3 rich oils).

It may
be that there is an absence of these nutrients in the diet. It may be the
effects of medication, stress, and other lifestyle factors, including exposure
to some environmental contaminants, that have lead to nutritional deficiencies.
For example, the use of antibiotics has been shown to have an effect on the
nutritional status of children, as they deplete the body’s levels of zinc,
calcium, chromium and selenium. Antibiotics, other medication andfood preservatives can also have a
serious detrimental effect on the healthy gut bacteria which in turn affects
the ability of the gut to absorb nutrients.

Academic
performance and behavioural problems improve significantly when children are
given optimal nutrition and nutritional supplements. In one study,
supplementing with just 200 milligrams of magnesium for six months improved
magnesium status and significantly reduced hyperactivity. Magnesium plays a key
role in the production of noradrenaline. One of the main sources of magnesium
in our diets is green vegetables, but few kids get enough of these. Other
nutrients involved in the production of noradrenaline include manganese, iron,
copper zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6.

Noradrenaline
formation may be affected by an absence of the amino acids L-phenylalanine or
L-tyrosine, which are its building blocks. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, Vitamin C,
Folic acid and the minerals zinc, magnesium and copper are necessary for the
conversion of phenylalanine and tyrosine to noradrenaline.

It has
been proposed for many years that food additives and other food constituents
can contribute to ADD/ADHD. While this is refuted by the food additive
industry, there’s growing evidence that this is the case. It’s also becoming
apparent that there are biochemical explanations as to why some foods and food
additives, particularly the food colours, may be contributing factors. For
example, salicylates inhibit the conversion of the EFAs to the protective
prostaglandins, as mentioned earlier. Many foods that contain salicylates -
tomatoes and granny smith apples, as well as aspirin and the food colours like
tartrazine (102) - may exacerbate ADD/ADHD.

Food
additives linked with ADD/ADHD can also deplete the body of vitamins and
minerals. Tartrazine decreases blood levels of zinc and increases its excretion
in the urine.

The
diet of the pregnant and breast-feeding mother is very important. Infant and
early childhood health conditions have a big role in the health of middle
childhood.This is supported by
research on alcohol exposure at various stages of pregnancy, hence the
importance of good foetal and childhood nutrition.

What to do about food

For
any child with ADD/ADHD it’s important to identify foods that may be causing a
problem. This is best done with a professional such as a naturopath. or a
doctor specialising in nutritional and environmental medicine. With these
professionals you can devise an elimination diet to identify potential
environmental and dietary culprits. Some of the culprits are shown below.

The
brain uses only glucose for energy. The research on sugar suggests that it may
not be a major factor in ADD/ADHD. However, brain glucose that comes in waves
of high highs and low lows is likely to affect a kid’s mood.