May 24, 2002 (The Daily Telegraph London) - Dear Doctor - My son
has just been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) and I understand that fish oil supplements might help him.
Unfortunately, he hates the taste and giving it has become a battle.
How worthwhile is it to continue?
The exact cause of ADHD (and related conditions such as dyslexia,
dyspraxia and autism) is poorly understood, but many researchers
believe that lack of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs)
is involved. An excellent book detailing the research is The LCP
Solution by Dr Jacqueline Stordy and Malcolm Nicholl (Macmillan,
pounds 14.99). Generally, LCPs help to improve concentration, mood,
co-ordination and behaviour. Capsules combining omega-3 essential
fatty acids from fish plus evening primrose oil (eg Efalex, eye q)
are usually well tolerated, but one in two find difficulty
swallowing them. A new liquid has also been launched that has a
pleasant, non-fishy, citrus flavour - if your son won't take this
neat, he will not notice it added to orange juice (eye q liquid,
pounds 9.99 from larger Boots or through www.equazen.com). A number
of studies have suggested that symptoms of ADHD can be improved by
lowering the sugar content of the diet, reducing the intake of
additives from junk food, eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast and
giving a multivitamin and mineral supplement to help correct any
deficiencies.
Dear Doctor - I understand a recent study found that St John's
Wort was not effective in relieving symptoms of severe depression.
Should I stop taking it?
The trial concerned compared the effectiveness of St John's Wort
with a prescription-only anti-depressant drug, sertraline, and an
inactive placebo. A total of 340 people with major depression were
randomised to receive one of these three treatments for eight weeks.
The results showed no statistically significant differences in
primary outcome between those taking St John's Wort, those taking
sertraline or those taking the placebo. The trial was designed to
use sertraline as an active comparator, showing the sensitivity of
the trial to detect anti-depressant effects. The fact that it failed
to show effectiveness of either treatment suggests the trial lacked
the necessary sensitivity. St John's Wort is only recommended for
use in people with mild to moderate depression, so the selection of
patients has also been criticised. If you are taking St John's Wort
for mild to moderate depression and have found it helpful, there is
no reason to discontinue it on the basis of these results. Previous
clinical studies have found it to be as effective as amitriptyline,
imipramine and fluoxetine.
Dear Doctor - I've heard that drinking cranberry juice on a
regular basis is good for you. If so, what is it good for, and how
much should you drink a day?
