This ``research'' really upsets me!

Dec. 17, 2004 -- A study suggests that iron deficiency may contribute to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Researchers from France also say children with ADHD and iron deficiencies exhibit more severe symptoms.

Investigators suggest that iron supplementation may benefit children with ADHD and iron deficiency. But one expert tells WebMD he doubts low iron is a major cause of ADHD.

"Our findings could have a major and immediate impact on the treatment of children with ADHD," the researchers write in the December issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Iron Stores Predict Symptom Severity
Past research has linked iron deficiency in infancy to slower brain development and poorer school performance later in childhood. Animal studies have linked iron deficiency to abnormal muscle movement or restlessness.

Iron deficiency is also common in people with the movement disorder known as restless legs syndrome.
Lead researcher Eric Konofal, MD, PhD, tells WebMD that these earlier findings led him to question whether iron deficiency plays a role in ADHD, a disorder characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

In an effort to answer the question, Konofal and colleagues measured blood levels of the PROTEIN ferritin in 53 children with ADHD and 27 children without ADHD but who had a mild reading disability. Ferritin allows the body to store iron and is used as a measure of iron levels.

Eighty-four percent of children with ADHD appeared to have abnormally low ferritin levels, compared with 18% of children without ADHD.
The children with the most severe iron deficiencies were also the most inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive.

This led the researchers to conclude that "low iron stores may explain as much as 30% of ADHD severity."
The researchers say the reason for the low iron levels in children with ADHD is unclear. The children in the study did not have evidence of malnutrition, which might contribute to low iron levels.

Too Soon to Supplement?
Low iron levels in the brain are known to alter the activity of dopamine, a chemical involved in controlling movement. The researchers suggest that this could explain the observed link between iron stores and ADHD.

Konofal says he hopes to collaborate with ADHD researchers in the United States on a much larger study to confirm the findings.
While he and colleagues write that their study could have an immediate impact on the treatment of ADHD, Konofal tells WebMD that it is probably too soon to recommend iron supplementation for all children with the disorder.

He added, however, that kids with ADHD should be tested for iron deficiency.
Pediatrician and ADHD expert William Coleman, MD, tells WebMD that it is clear that malnourishment can lead to an attention-deficit-like syndrome often misidentified as ADHD.

While he calls the latest findings intriguing, he says he doubts that iron deficiency will turn out to be a major cause of ADHD.
"If it is involved, I believe iron deficiency is responsible for only a very small segment of the problems associated with ADHD," says Coleman, professor or pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical Center.

SOURCES: Konofal, E. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, December 2004; vol 158: pp 1113-1115. Eric Konofal, MD, PhD, Hospital Robert Debre, Paris. William Coleman, MD, professor of pediatrics, Center for Development and Learning, University of North Carolina Medical School, Chapel Hill.

webcenter.health.webmd.netscape.com/ content/article/98/104869.htm

Did you see also in the above, the mention of dopamine? Well...it takes B6 to make dopamine, serotonin and melatonin. (Mg is needed for the UPTAKE of serotonin. B6 to make it, Mg to utilize it.) B6 needs additional Mg to work. The vitamins and minerals all work TOGETHER. Keeping them in balance is tricky.

(The following is complex. Pay attention to what I have capitalized.)

Structure of the 5' untranslated regulatory region of ferritin mRNA studied in solution.

Wang YH, Sczekan SR, Theil EC.

Department of Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7622.

Ferritin mRNAs are the first eukaryotic mRNAs for which a conserved, translational regulatory sequence has been identified. The sequence of twenty-eight nucleotides, called the IRE (iron regulatory element), is found in the 5'-noncoding region and is required for enhanced translation of ferritin mRNA by excess cellular iron; regulation occurs at initiation.

The prediction of secondary structure in the IRE is a hairpin loop. We now report an analysis of the IRE structure in solution studied in natural ferritin mRNAs [H and H'(M) subunits] by primer extension, after modification or cleavage by dimethyl sulfate, RNAases T1 and V1, and the chemical nuclease 1, 10-phenanthroline-copper (OPCu) which cleaves single-stranded and bulged regions of RNA.

Overall, the structure in solution of the ferritin mRNA regulatory region is a hairpin loop, with MAGNESIUM -SENSITIVE features, in which half the stem is provided by the IRE and half by flanking regions; only secondary structure is conserved in the flanking regions.

Predicted bulges or internal loops along the stem were clearly detected by OPCu but were missed by the more bulky probe RNAase T1, indicating the efficacy of OPCu in probing subtle features of RNA structure. Magnesium-dependent deviations from the predicted structure were observed in the stem between the hairpin loop and the bulge at C6.

The location of the IRE in relation to the initiator AUG or the cap is variable in different ferritin mRNAs. However, the number of nucleotides in the base-paired flanking regions of known ferritin mRNAs is proportional to the distance of the IRE from the cap and places the secondary/tertiary structure 8-10 nucleotides from the cap where interference with initiation is likely.

PMID: 2388828 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

See ``MAGNESIUM SENSITIVE''?

More...

C. A simple list of enzymatic processes requiring Mg2+ ions would fill many pages. Required for activation of enzymes needed for protein synthesis

1. RNA polymerases which allow DNA to be copied by the messenger. (See section 4 first)

2. Aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetases which permit amino acid fixation on the corresponding t-RNA

3. The elongation factor of the polypeptide chain which allows the binding of aminoacyl t-RNA at the receptor site of a ribosome on m-RNA complex

4. Ribsomal peptidyltransferases which allow the formation of the peptide

D. Mg and growth

1. At the cellular level, divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) are required for the individual animal cells to adhere to one another

a. The net surface charge is negative for most cells

b. Positively charged divalent cations reduce repellent forces of these negative charges sufficient for adhesion to occur

2. At the subcellular level, sections of the chromosomes in the nucleus are held together by Ca and Mg

3. At the molecular level, Mg is necessary for PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

4. The physical integrity of the DNA helix appears to be dependent on Mg2+

a. Mg2+ ion decreases the number DNA replication errors

b. Mg2+ ion stimulates DNA repair

c. Most of the known enzymes involved in repairing DNA lesions are dependent on Mg2+ at varying degrees

d. Mg may thus by important in reducing occurrence of neoplasms

5. The physical size of the RNA aggregate is controlled by the concentration of Mg

E. Required by immunological process. Magnesium, immunity, and allergy: Mg is required for several steps of immunological reactions

1. Lymphoblastic transformation, a prerequisite of secretion of antibodies by lymphoblasts, requires Ca2+ and Mg2+

2. Mg is required for synthesis of PROTEINS, immunoglobulins included

http://www.mdschoice.com/elements/elements/major_minerals/magnesium.htm

It's not an iron problem, it's a Mg problem!

***Do you think Western children with ADHD will receive proper magnesium supplementation to decrease their hyperactivity? If you are a skeptic, you are probably right. Instead, they will be given "upper" drugs; one such drug is the amphetamine dextroamphetamine which has the unique property of ELEVATING MAGNESIUM IN SERUM AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE CALCIUM TO MAGNESIUM RATIO. Mothers! watch out for the pharmaceutical drug peddlers!'' http://www.coldcure.com/html/dep.html

Where is that elevated serum Mg coming from? Storage? Oh, oh.

(The author of the above website is the developer of zinc lozenges. He cured his own manic depression using Mg. His website is absolutely incredibly documented. )

When one mineral is low, it most definitely effects the others. Mg...is THE most important mineral/electrolyte!

Got major ADHD prob in this house! Would love to get off concerta!

I have been looking into the low iron thing, you do not think that is the source of the problem? I may not have read this article correctly.

My son (25) has ADHD, learning disabilities, migraines, Asperger's (high functioning autism) and seizures. All of which I have traced back to a Mg deficiency. His current cholesterol is 86...that's NOT good! Mg is needed to make the good cholesterol and lower the bad (documented).

A cholesterol level that low puts him at risk for depression, anxiety and cancer and no bile salts (digestive probs)...according to my research. Now I have to convince the doctor tomorrow (research in hand). Ugh! His serum Mg level is normal (but he is on Ritalin which hides the problem).

As an infant, he had to be switched to soy formula within a couple of days of birth. I wish I knew then what I know now.

Applying what I know...I tried 2 new supplements for him...and he had a "herx" response. Acidic condition triggered calcium influx, triggered histamine (itchy), triggered TNF alpha too (achey joints). Little too much too fast. Lowering the doses.

My research to help my sis with lyme has opened my eyes to the underlying prob. with our son. (There are other pathogens that deplete Mg too...as well as a bad diet, stress, poor water, etc.).

Focus on Mg rich, alkaline, low glycemic index foods. Healthy stuff and filtered water. I know...try to get a kid to eat healthy!

Re: Asperger's...

5. ASPERGER'S SYNDROME(defective socialization and clumsy motor movements, no other symptoms of autism)We have found serotonin deficiency in some.Treatment: We use serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (e.g., Zoloft) to prolong the time serotonin is available to brain receptors; results in rapid improvement.
www.nitrf.org/DifferentSubsetsAutism.htm

B6 needed to make serotonin, Mg to utilize it ("uptake"). Not enough able to be utilized because of Mg deficiency = body makes more and more and more (in the small intestine). Zoloft is very expensive. Mg is far, far cheaper and gets to the ROOT of the problem.

He had his 1st seizure at puberty. Not uncommon. Mg is needed to form the hormones...it all fits into place.

Mg supplements have stopped his migraines when all the Rxs we tried didn't. Although it took several days 'cause we had to go the low frequent oral dose route.

This will take time - many, many months to correct the underlying deficiency. We don't have the "luxury" of IV doses which are likely needed.

Wish me luck tomorrow.