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Iron deficiency and ADHD
A friend has told me there is some suggestion that children who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be deficient in iron. Can you tell me any more about this theory?
The recent research your friend may be referring to is a study by French scientists, who have now linked iron deficiency to ADHD after discovering that 85% of those children studied who had been diagnosed with the condition have low iron levels, compared with just 18% of those children not diagnosed with any hyperactivity disorder.
The crucial thing to be aware of when it comes to supplementing a child’s diet with iron is that doses need to be very specific to avoid any risk of toxicity and so, unless you know what you are doing, you may end up causing more harm than good.
One clever solution is a tonic called Spatone which is safe for children over the age of two and in which the iron supplied in each sachet is naturally occurring iron found in spa water sourced from Snowdonia.
You can also, of course, try and increase a child’s dietary intake of iron by introducing more iron-rich foods such as spinach and liver - but I can’t see that most children would be jumping for joy at this prospect, making supplementation a more workable solution.
If you take the Spatone route, mail order from the Nutricentre (0800 5872290) where 14 sachets cost £3.85. Give your child one sachet a day.
If you want a liquid iron formulated specifically for children aged between one and six, use Kirkman’s Liquid Iron (£17.95 for 200ml) which you can order from the same supplier and add between 8 and 10 drops to their favourite juice each day - but no more than this dosage.