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Evening Primrose ADHD Remedies

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a condition that is growing at an epidemic rate throughout the industrialized world and is common in both children and adults. Recently there have been some studies that seem to link fatty acid consumption in the diet to a decreased incidence of ADHD, and public interest in natural supplements to remedy ADHD is strong. Evening primrose seed oil is a high natural source of essential fatty acids and is being studied for its potential role in treating ADHD and related disorders.

  1. About ADHD

    • According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders that can continue through adulthood. It usually manifests as high levels of one or more of the following: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is commonly treated with medications such as Ritalin that can be expensive and may have unwanted side effects.

    About Evening Primrose

    • Evening primrose seeds are a source of fatty acids that are considered essential to brain developement, among other things. In fact, according to an article by Alexandra Richardson in the November 2001 edition of Nutrition Practitioner, fatty acids make up 15 percent to 20 percent of the brain's dry mass, are crucial for normal brain function and can only be provided by diet.

    ADHD and Fatty Acids

    • A study done in Australia in 2007 at CSIRO Human Nutrition in Adelaide tested the effects of fatty acids on children with ADHD. The study had parents rate the effects of the fatty acids on their children and found medium to strong beneficial results on attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness scores.

    Potential

    • Alexandra Richardson suggests that fatty acid supplementation may also be beneficial in a variety of other disorders that are related to ADHD. Autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, a developmental disorder, all seem to have common and sometimes overlapping features and may all be linked by a relationship to fatty acid deficiency. According to Richardson, evening primrose oil is the best researched source of the fatty acids that may be able to treat these conditions.

    Significance

    • The National Institute of Mental Health warns of several potential side effects from pharmaceutical medications that are used to treat ADHD, including headaches, tics and sleeping problems. Evening primrose oil, used at normal dosages, is not known to have side effects and may help with allergic reactions that are common in ADHD patients, according to Richardson.

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