How Useful Is Adhd Niacin As A Supplement?

One of the most famous nutritionists of our time, Dr. Hoffer, treats ADHD with mega quantities of multivitamins and nothing else. In a way he reminds us of Dr. Pauling who ingested enormous quantities of Vitamin C and lived to be almost 100. There is an example in Hoffer's book where he treats a ten year old boy who had lots of behavioural problems at school with niacin (also known as Vitamin B3 in the Vitamin B family group).He prescribed 1,500 mg a day and the boy showed a remarkable, if not astonishing improvement in his symptoms. Certainly ADHD niacin worked in this case. But one swallow does not make a summer!

While Dr. Hoffer has had remarkable success with niacin and ADHD and has over 500 publications to his name, he has been ousted by the medical community simply because he goes against the mainstream and refuses to have anything to do with drugs such as ADHD psychostimulants, unlike the majority of his fellow physicians.

Niacin is present in many foods that we normally eat such as avocados and fish such as swordfish. But it is also found in milk, eggs, cereals, pork and beef.

But what does niacin actually do in the brain? There have been numerous studies on this and it appears that niacin helps to produce serotonin one of the neurotransmitters in the brain which is a very important one. You can think of these neurotransmitters as sort of relay runners and they carry messages in the brain circuit. When you think that there are 40 million brain cells, the majority of which are dependent on serotonin, then you begin to realize its importance in controlling our moods, attention, sleep and concentration. As these are the critical areas for ADHD, you can see why ADHD niacin has had so much attention.

Certainly niacin and ADHD will have to be investigated further although there are enough studies out there which support Dr. Hoffer's treatment regime. Many doctors question the megavitamins approach saying that the excess is flushed out of the body anyway, so it remains a controversial issue.

Looking at ADHD in broader terms, we have to widen our view and look at medication and psychological interventions which are the real keys to successful ADHD treatment. While diet and nutrition are important and ADHD niacin can play a role here, the main issues are of vital importance to the ADHD child's development and equipping him or her for life.

By: William Locke

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Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available.