Low Serum Magnesium Levels in ADHD
Children and Adults
Low iron and zinc levels have long been associated with ADHD.
Magnesium is lesser known for its connection to ADHD but is of
equal importance. There have been a number of studies linking
low serum magnesium levels in ADHD children and adults.
Researchers are not sure if magnesium deficiency causes ADHD or
if the magnesium supplementation eases the symptoms. Either way,
if you have attentional problems, you will want to add magnesium
to your diet.
A 1998 study published in “Alternative Medicine Review” linked
low serum magnesium levels in ADHD onset. Researchers examined
hair, red cell, and serum magnesium levels in 116 ADHD children
and found that 95% were deficient in magnesium. Fifty of these
children were then put on a six-month regiment of 200 mg of
magnesium daily. Researchers noted a marked decrease in
hyperactivity. This particular study was not a double-blind
study so the placebo effect was not taken into consideration.
However, the findings were significant enough to support
magnesium as go-to mineral for ADHD.
Magnesium aids in the
transmission of messages throughout the nervous system.
Magnesium also calms the nervous system and is also a key factor
in the production of serotonin. With adequate amounts of
magnesium in the body, you can think clearer, concentrate better
and feel better. These factors can help manage conditions like
Attention Deficit and hyperactivity.
Magnesium is necessary for sufficient brain energy and is one of
the first minerals depleted during times of stress. Common
symptoms of magnesium deficiency include irritability,
depression, nervousness, fatigue, mood swings, confusion,
migraines, twitching, trembling, muscle weakness or cramps,
anxiety and insomnia. People with magnesium deficiencies tend to
also be hypersensitive to noise and light. The presence of
allergies, ADHD and asthma can also indicate inadequate
magnesium levels in the body. Tourette's syndrome, facial or eye
tics and other nervous movements have also been associated with
a magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium cannot be stored by the body so it must be received
daily. Magnesium is best received natural through diet, though
supplementation is also a viable way to boost serum magnesium
levels in ADHD children and adults.
Attend for Attention Deficit contains magnesium,
along with
70 other ingredients designed to boost brain power.
Magnesium is abundant in green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts
and seeds (almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, peanuts, pecans),
brown rice, whole-grain products, brown rice, wheat germ,
Brewer's yeast, lima beans, black-eyed peas, and fruits like
pineapple, bananas, apples and peaches.
Magnesium is most readily available in unprocessed foods, which
are often lacking in the typical American diet. Additionally,
magnesium is often missing from multivitamin formulas. Magnesium
is a bulky mineral that makes the pill or tablet large so
multivitamin formulas often leave magnesium out to keep size
down.
One study stated that over 60
percent of the US population does not meet the recommended daily
allowance of magnesium. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of
magnesium is:
-
Ages 1-3: 80 mg
-
Ages 4-8: 130 mg
-
Ages 9-13: 240 mg
-
Adults: 300-400 mg
