Source: Natural Health, March-April 1997 v27 n2 p60(3). Title: Recess for Ritalin: despite evidence that this drug has harmful side effects and stifles creativity, doctors still ignore a safer, better solution. Author: John Robbins Despite evidence that this drug has harmful side effects and stifles creativity, doctors still ignore a safer, better solution. Every morning before going to school, 3 to 5 percent of American schoolchildren take a mind- and behavior-altering prescription drug called Ritalin (methylphenidate). They do so because they have been diagnosed as having a "disease" called Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Youngsters who take this medication tend to be more goal-directed than before; they often become better able to stay focused on their schoolwork; they tend to become less aggressive, less apt to get into trouble, and generally more docile and compliant. These changes make them easier for adults to manage. Psychiatrists, parents, and teachers are often pleased with the changes they see in a child who is put on Ritalin, who may appear to be "finally settling down." Yet despite the drug's apparent benefits, a number of people challenge the wisdom of giving Ritalin to so many children. They cite several good reasons: Ritalin silences creative children; it can cause disturbing side effects; and there are safer and more effective solutions. Lights Out The assumption is that children diagnosed with ADHD have a brain dysfunction or disease. Some, indeed, are so unruly that they can completely disrupt an entire class. But many are children who simply need learning environments more suitable for their particular personalities or learning abilities. They don't do well in mass production assembly line schools that value conformity more than individuality. For example, one official criteria for an ADHD diagnosis is when a child "blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed." Very intelligent children, however, are often bored in today's schools and will sometimes try to answer their teacher's questions as quickly as possible, in the manner of game show contestant "whiz kids" eager to display their knowledge. This behavior, while hardly evidence of pathological brain chemistry, may nevertheless lead to a diagnosis of ADHD. Also, assertive children may receive such a diagnosis. One of the scales most widely used by parents and teachers to assess for ADHD is the Revised Conner's Questionnaire. According to this scale, children are suspected of being hyperactive if they are "sassy" or show signs of "wanting to run things." Some pupils labeled "hyperactive " may simply have a different learning style than the one dictated by the school environment. A child named Alva comes to mind. Alva's teacher taught by rote, which was too mechanical for the boy's creative mind. His thoughts often wandered, while his body seemed in perpetual motion in his seat. The teacher found Alva inattentive and unruly and often threatened punishment. Alva, fearful and out of place, ran away from school. It is fortunate that young Alva lived some years ago, before the medicalization of childhood was under way. His full name was Thomas Alva Edison, and if he were a child today, he would almost certainly be diagnosed with ADHD and given Ritalin. If this had happened when he was growing up, we might still be reading by kerosene lamps. In addition to the likely misdiagnoses of ADHD and the possibility that some diagnoses may undermine children's creativity, side effects from this drug are a concern, too. The Physicians Desk Reference lists more than twenty-five possible reactions to Ritalin, including nausea, insomnia, headaches, weight loss, and a slowing of growth. Some children develop bizarre compulsive behaviors, such as insistent biting of their fingers and nails until they bleed. Other reactions include elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and a disorder known as Tourette's syndrome, characterized by repetitive involuntary movements or tics. Junk in, Junk out Is there a better answer for those kids who truly need help? It would appear so. In 1973, Ben Feingold, M.D., a pediatric allergist with the Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, told a meeting of the American Medical Association that food additives were responsible for 40 to 50 percent of the hyperactivity he had seen in his practice. He found that a substantial number of hyperactive children improved dramatically when they stopped eating foods that contained artificial colorings and flavors and certain artificial preservatives. Additionally, Feingold found that a variety of childhood learning disabilities and other behavioral problems were reduced by the same diet changes. Unfortunately, today, many parents, educators, and physicians believe that the Feingold program has been disproven. This erroneous idea stems from a series of widely quoted studies undertaken in the late 1970s that purported to find Feingold's methods wanting. But serious questions have been raised about the validity of these studies, a number of which were undertaken by the Nutrition Foundation, an organization funded by the makers of Coca-Cola, Fruit Loops, C & H Sugar, and other junk food. An analysis of the studies published in Science in 1980 disclosed that the researchers had used doses of the additives that were far too small to produce a noticeable effect. In fact, when the amounts were raised to a level commensu-rate with children's typical eating habits. the hyper-activity/food additive link was confirmed. Some 85 percent of the hyperactive children reacted adversely when they were exposed to realistic levels of artificial colorings, flavorings, preservatives, and other synthetic food additives. In 1985, Lancet published a study in which 79 percent of hyperactive children improved when suspect foods were eliminated from their diets, only to become worse again when the foods were reintroduced. Artificial colorings and flavorings were the most serious culprits; sugar was also found to have a noticeable effect. Do actual programs that improve nutrition and remove chemical additives in children's diets have value on a large scale? Though not widely known to the general public, the evidence that they do is impressive. A series of studies in the 19805 removed chemical additives and reduced sugar in the diets of juvenile delinquents. Overall, 5,076 young people in twelve juvenile correctional facilities were involved. The result? Deviant behavior fell 47 percent. Perhaps the most impressive study of the Feingold diet occurred when more than one million children in no less than 803 public schools in New York City were put on the diet for three years. During these years, all artificial colors and flavors and the preservatives BHA and BHT were gradually eliminated from the schools' cafeterias, and the amount of sugar was reduced. The schoolchildren were tested each year using the standard California Achievement Test. The testing began several years before the dietary modifications commenced, and continued throughout. The results were spectacular. In the three years before the experiment began, the schools had placed in the 41st, 43rd, and 38th percentiles, compared to other schools in the country. The Feingold program was gradually implemented, year by year. After the first year, the schools advanced to the 47th percentile; the second year, the schools jumped to the 51st percentile; and in the third year of implementation, the schools advanced again, this time to the 55th percentile. Combined, these were the largest such gains ever measured in any comparable period of time in any metropolitan school district in the country. In 1994, two more medical journals- -Annals of Allergy and The Journal of Pediatrics--reported studies which concluded that food colors and additives were related to ADHD. Writing in Annals of Allergy, researchers concluded that artificial colors and other additives may play a significant role in the etiology of the majority of children with ADHD. RELATED ARTICLE: RESOURCES For information on implementing changes in school lunch programs, write: * John Robbins EarthSave International 706 Frederick St. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 For information on the Feingold program, write: * The Feingold Association P.O. Box 6550 Alexandria, VA 22306 RELATED ARTICLE: A Parent's Plan of Action The Feingold Association recommends that parents with hyperactive children reduce their children's sugar intake and eliminate the following food additives: Synthetic (artificial) colors: Sometimes labeled as "U.S. Certified Color" or "Color Added," or by its Food and Drug Administration number, such as "FD&C Yellow No. 5." Synthetic (artificial) flavors: May be labeled as "flavoring" or "artificial flavoring." Vanillin is the only synthetic flavoring clearly labeled by its name. Three antioxidant preservatives: BHA, BHT, TBHQ. These are the most likely to cause the worst reactions. Literature from the Feingold Association (see Resources) lists a number of acceptable and unacceptable products, by brand name. If your child's behavior is related to food additives, you should see some results within one to four weeks. This material is part of a longer discussion on this topic appearing in the book Reclaiming Our Health [C] 1996 by John Robbins Reprinted by permission of HJ Kramer, P.O. Box 1082, Tiburon, CA. 94920. All rights reserved. John Robbins is author of the best-selling Diet for a New America (Stillpoint, 1987) and Reclaiming Our Health (HJ Kramer, 1996), and is the founder of EarthSave.