101 Reasons to Avoid Ritalin Like the Plague
Author: Glasser, Howard

The ADHD Fraud: How Psychiatry Makes "Patients" of Normal Children
Author: Baughman Jr. MD, Fred A

Reclaiming Our Children: A Healing Plan for a Nation in Crisis
Author: Breggin M.D., Peter R.

Why Can't My Child Behave?: Why Can't She Cope? Why Can't He Learn?
Author: Hersey, Jane

Talking Back To Ritalin: What Doctors Aren’t Telling You About Stimulants for Children
Author: Breggin M.D., Peter R.

Little Sugar Addicts: End the Mood Swings, Meltdowns, Tantrums, and Low Self-Esteem in Your Child Today
Author: Desmaisons, Kathleen

Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy, and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the "New Psychiatry"
Author: Breggin M.D., Peter R.

ADHD: A Path to Success: A Revolutionary Theory and New Innovation in Drug-Free Therapy
Author: Weathers Ph.D., Lawrence

The Ritalin Fact Book: What your Doctor Won’t Tell you
Author: Breggin M.D., Peter R.

The Hyperactivity Hoax: How to Stop Drugging Your Child and Find Real Medical Help
Author: Walker, Sydney

Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications
Author: Breggin M.D., Peter R., and Cohen, David,

ADHD ADD - RITALIN IS NOT THE ANSWER and (the Guide)
Author: Stein, Dr. David and Breggin M.D., Peter R.Ritalin Free KidsAuthor: Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth and Ullman, Robert

Beyond Ritalin
Author: Garber Ph.D., Marianne Daniels

Ritalin Nation: Rapid-Fire Culture and the Transformation of Human Consciousness
Author: Degrandpre, Richard J.

Do We Really Need Ritalin?
Author: Wright Josephine

Running on Ritalin: A Physician Reflects on Children
Author: Diller, Lawrence H.

No More Ritalin
Author: Block, Dr. Mary Ann

Without Ritalin
Author: Berne, Samuel A.

Twelve Effective Ways to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child: Drug-Free Alternatives for Attention-Deficit Disorders
Author: Laura J. Stevens

Is this Really My Child? All-natural Drug Free Approach to ADD/ADHD
Author: Dr. Cathrin Olsen

The Ritalin-Free Child: Managing Hyperactivity & Attention Deficits Without Drugs
Author: Hunter, Diana

Getting Rid of Ritalin
Author: Castro, Eduardo and Hill, Robert W.

ADHD, Revised Edition: The Great Misdiagnosis
Author: Haber, Julian Stuart

Links:

Citizens Commission on Human Rights…
http://www.cchr.org/

In 1906 the FDA vowed to keep our food and drugs safe…
http://www.hundredyearlie.com/ssi.html

ADHD Fraud, Not a disease in life, nor in autopsy…
www.adhdfraud.com

Doctors write 65 million prescriptions each year for unapproved drugs
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/09/26/unapproved.drugs/index.html?eref=rss_health

2005 Texas Ritalin, Chromosomal Damages in Children…
http://psychrights.org/Drugs/cytogenetic-Ritalin.pdf

Federal laws pertaining to ADHD diagnosed children (IDEA) school funding…
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/schools/feds.html

FDA Preemptive Policy, to avoid tort liability cases towards drug companies…
http://www.newstarget.com/018698.html

Generation Rx…
www.generationrx.com

We’ve become a Ritalin Nation…
www.ritalinnation.com

Doctor against ADHD and Psychotropic Medications…
www.peterbreggin.com

Ritalin Death – Heart Attacks in Children…
www.ritalindeath.com

Myth of ADD/ADHD…
http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/myth_add_adhd.htm

ADHD Drug Free Alternatives…
http://www.adhd-drugfreealternatives.com/pages/advertising.cfm

ADHD Alternatives…
http://home.earthlink.net/~ohtee/

ADHD Battle Plan…
http://preview-publish.exigo.com/public/1333/websites/41/images/add_battleplan.pdf

ADHD The Great Mis-diagnosis…
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/reviews/parenting_books/adhd_misdiagnosis.html

Texas Ritalin Study – Chromosomal Damages, Higher Cancer Risk…
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/510069/

Ritalin and Liver Cancer…
http://www.preventcancer.com/patients/med_avoid/Ritalin.htm

FDA Ritalin and Liver Cancer Connection…
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00705.html

Psychotropic Drug Articles and News…
http://psychrights.org/Drugs/Stimulants4ADHD/Jacksonpre-emption.pdf

FDA Drug Search, Study, History, Label Info…
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/

FDA 2007 Budget – Genotoxicity of chronic methylphenidate exposure…
http://www.fda.gov/oc/oms/ofm/budget/2007/HTML/Tables/Sourcesoffunding.htm
(12th row, down from top)

FDA transcript report; doctors discussing Ritalin study… 
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/05/transcripts/2005-4152t2_Transcript.pdf
See- Read pages 49-72

Upcoming FDA-NIEHS study - Genetic Meas. in Blood Cells of Children Taking Adderall /Methylphenidate… http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT00341029;jsessionid=597B445ACA1F5DE19B35F16BCBBEB0D2?order=33

Ritalin a medication of Paradox…
http://www.humboldt.edu/~morgan/methyl.htm

ADHD and Ritalin…
http://www.humboldt.edu/~morgan/adhd_s01.htm

Treating ADHD with Diet…
http://www.eklhad.net/adhd.html

Feature articles on adhd:

Controlled trial of cumulative behavioural effects of a common bread preservative.
Dengate S, Ruben A., J Paediatr Child Health 2002 Aug;38(4):373-6
" ...Twenty-seven children, whose behaviour improved significantly on the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital diet, which excludes food additives, natural salicylates, amines and glutamates, were challenged with calcium propionate (preservative code 282) or placebo through daily bread in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial. ... CONCLUSIONS: Irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance in some children may be caused by a preservative in healthy foods consumed daily. Minimizing the concentrations added to processed foods would reduce adverse reactions. Testing for behavioural toxicity should be included in food additive safety evaluation. "

Omega-3 supplements rapidly eliminate ADD, ADHD and bipolar disorder in children
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have reported that omega-3 fatty acid is highly effective in treating children with ADD, ADHD and bipolar disorder. The study was reported in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology in February 2007. "Results from this prospective, open study...

Effects of a Few Foods Diet in Attention Deficit Disorder
C.M. Carter, et al, Archives of Disease in Childhood, November 1993, Vol. 69 (5), pp.564-8
59 of 78 children (75.6%) referred for "hyperactive behavior" improved on an open trial of an elimination diet. 19 of them were studied in a placebo-controlled double-blind challenge protocol.

Use of psychotropic drugs for hyperactivity soars over ten years
The use of drugs to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) skyrocketed between 1993 and 2003, according to a study in "Health Affairs." The prescription of such drugs nearly quadrupled, while global spending on them increased by a factor of nine…

Clinical spectrum of adverse reactions to tartrazine. Collins-Williams C, J Asthma 1985;22(3):139-43
"Tartrazine, a common additive in foods and drugs, often causes adverse reactions such as recurrent urticaria, angioedema, and asthma and is frequently implicated in hyperkinesis. This paper summarizes the recent literature on the subject and outlines a practical approach for the practicing physician to diagnose and treat these patients in an optimal manner. "

FDA requires ADHD drug makers to warn users about serious health risks
(NewsTarget) The FDA has instructed manufacturers of drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to produce Patient Medication Guides warning patients about the risks of cardiovascular or psychiatric complications posed by those drugs. The guides also will advise patients about the precautions...

The Feingold dietary treatment of the hyperkinetic syndrome
Cook PS, Woodhill JM., Med J Aust. 1976 Jul 17;2(3):85-8, 90.
" ... Following Feingold's dietary prescription, an elimination diet relevant to the foods available in Sydney was developed. The treatment regime is described, and the results of its application to 15 hyperkinetic children are presented. The parents of 10 children are "quite certain" and those of three others "fairly certain" that their children's behaviour not only improved substantially with the diet, but also relapsed promptly when significant dietary infringements occurred. A possible ecological implication of these findings is briefly discussed. "

ADHD drug push targets entire families; children and parents both on amphetamines
(NewsTarget) A new study by prescription benefit manager Medco Health Solutions Inc. found that parents of children taking drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nine times more likely to also use the drugs than other parents. The study -- which was based on the number...

The role of diet in behaviour.
Feingold BF., Ecology of Disease 1982;1(2-3):153-65
"The behavioural disorders, frequently labelled hyperkinesis, hyperkinetic impulse disorder, hyperactivity, Minimal Brain Dysfunction (MBD) and Attentional Deficit Disorder (ADD), are among the most critical problems of our contemporary culture.
"Truancy, vandalism, violence and assault among school children coupled with a persistent drop in scholastic achievement is a universal problem affecting the school population of every so-called developed country. Every procedure for the control of behavioural disorders has not been successful; every technique for the improvement of learning has not been productive, while every modality for the rehabilitation of delinquents has failed us. Since all these procedures have been structured upon psychosocial concepts, it becomes necessary to look elsewhere for the answers, which is to the biosciences, including genetics, molecular genetics, pharmacogenetics, behavioural toxicology, behavioural teratology, immunochemistry, immunology, allergy and endocrinology, with a focus upon nutrition, which encompasses all these disciplines.
...
The increase in behavioural disorders accompanied by a persistent drop in scholastic performance coupled with the continuing rise in the prevalence of delinquency is undoubtedly one of the most important expressions of the disruption of nature by the rising concentration of pollutants in the ecosystem. The prospect for controlling and eliminating the major contaninants of the environment is not too promising for the immediate future; however, an informed public, which should lead to greater commitment and involvement, would be followed by the containment and then reversal and resolution of this critical and important present-day situation involving the health and behaviour of both our contemporary population and also future generations. Public recognition and participation in the problem are mandatory to correct the insidious downgrading of the human race, which is already evident. "
Dr. Feingold finalized this paper in the few days before his death. He had not had time to list his references, and the editors noted that they had decided to publish it without them.

Canada warns ADHD drug takers over "psychiatric events"
(NewsTarget) In the wake of two dozen reported cases of mood, personality and psychological reactions that may be linked to ADHD drugs -- including agitation, hallucinations and three suicides -- Health Canada is revising it's prescribing and patient information for all such drugs in the country, considering...

Salicylate sensitivity in children reported to respond to salicylate exclusion.
Fitzsimon M, Holborow P, Berry P, Latham S, Medical Journal of Australia 1978 Dec 2;2(12):570-2
Twelve children, aged six to 13 years, whose parents reported an improvement in behavioural problems with use of the Feingold (K-P) diet for an average period of 12 months, were challenge-tested with 40 mg of acetylsalicylic acid in a double-blind, cross-over trial with ascorbic acid as a placebo. ... significance was reached in tests of general cognitive capacity, line walking and the "finger-to-nose" tests, as well as increased disturbance in sleep patterns in these children.

Celebrity-endorsed ADHD "educational ad" spreads Big Pharma disease mongering across internet
On Tuesday, NewsTarget reported that an ad for the ADHD medicine Adderall -- endorsed by "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" star and ADHD sufferer Ty Pennington -- was being prominently displayed on Amazon.com's home page, and invited visitors to participate in a "Amazon survey" to determine how much they...

Sulfanilic acid: behavioral change related to azo food dyes in developing rats.
Goldenring JR, Batter DK, Shaywitz BA., Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology. 1982 Jan-Feb;4(1):43-9.
" The effects of sulfanilic acid, a major azo food dye metabolite, were studied in normal developing rat pups and pups treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (60HDA). Chronic daily intraperitoneal injection of sulfanilic acid during the first postnatal month elicited hyperactivity and impaired shock escape performance in vehicle pups. ... These findings, which are similar to the results of our study of chronic administration of a food dye mix, suggest that sulfanilic acid may be one of the causative agents in food dye-induced behavioral changes in developing rats. ... "

Music lessons boost memory, brain function of children
(NewsTarget) In a report published in the online edition of the journal Brain, a Canadian study showed young children engaged in music lessons developed better memory function compared to same-age peers who received no musical training. The Canadian study took measurements from children between...

Tenfold increase in Ritalin prescriptions for ADHD children sets off U.K. investigation
(NewsTarget) After studies revealed a nearly tenfold increase in Ritalin prescriptions in the U.K., public backlash spurred an investigation of doctors' prescription procedures by the National Health Service. However, the results of the review may not be available until March of 2008. The delay...

The effect of diets rich in and free from additives on the behavior of children with hyperkinetic and learning disorders.
Gross MD, Tofanelli RA, Butzirus SM, Snodgrass EW., J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1987 Jan;26(1):53-5.
" Thirty-nine children in a summer camp were given the Feingold Diet, which eliminates artificial additives and salicylate-containing foods, for 1 week, followed by administration for 1 week of food containing those ingredients. The behavior of all children was monitored by videotape for 4-minute intervals at mealtime. All children were classified by public school psychologists as having moderate to severe learning disorder; 18 were also hyperkinetic, and 17 were taking medication for the latter condition. Three raters blind to the respective diets the children were on rated the children's behavior for motor restlessness, disorganized behavior, and misbehavior. No significant differences were found in behaviors during weeks 1 and 2. The authors conclude that the Feingold Diet has no beneficial effect on most children with learning disorders, or on hyperkinetic children taking medication."
Full Text of Study
Note: Because this study has been cited occasionally as the "definitive" study on the Feingold diet, it deserves some extended comment:
They were studying a diet recommended for children with ADHD, which usually takes more than one week to "show" an effect, and longer when a child is on medication. However,

• More than half the children in the study did not have ADHD.
• All but one of the children with ADHD were on medication the whole time.
• If the medication worked well, how would they measure a diet effect?
• The medication itself contained coloring - counteracting any diet effect.
• The one child not on medication was sent home because his behavior got worse when given the additives in Week 2
• One other child was sent home in Week 2 because his behavior got worse. It was concluded that his medication (Cylert) was "not strong enough."
• Notice that the video taping was done during mealtime to measure a reaction expected to occur only several hours after mealtime.
• Notice that the raters were "blind to the respective diets."
• Dr. Gross - the primary investigator - was one of the three raters. Since he would be seeing the film, taken during meals, and could SEE whether or not there was ketchup on the tables, are we to truly believe that he was "blind" to the respective diets, as reported?
• Alternatively, if the camera angle was so wide that all children were visible at once and details such as condiment bottles could not be seen, how well could the children themselves be seen for observation of their behavior?
• The children were not told that they were on a "diet" - they were told that the "good stuff" had not yet arrived. Is it very surprising that they were negative?
• Mustard was eliminated, for reasons unknown - appropriate brands of mustard are acceptable on the Feingold diet.
• Snacks and treats were eliminated, for reasons unknown - appropriate brands of candy and other treats are acceptable on the Feingold diet.
• Coloring, flavoring, and fragrances were apparently not eliminated, however, in personal toiletries, medications taken by the children, and cleaning supplies used by the camp, over which there was apparently no effort made at control.
• Nevertheless, the camp director and teachers were united in their observation that the children were noisier during the second (additive-rich) week. This was duly noted but discounted by the researchers.
• The researchers acknowledged that a one-week trial of the diet is short, but defended it by saying that people already using the Feingold diet say that eating something "off-diet" causes a reaction within a few hours.
• This is only relevant AFTER a good response to the diet.
• No initial response to the diet is expected, usually, until after one to several weeks.
• Children on psychoactive medication or recently off it take longer to respond to the diet than do those who have never been on such medications. This has been reliably observed since the 1960's by Dr. Feingold, by other doctors using the diet, and by the Feingold Association

While scientists clash over the dangers of ADHD drugs, the U.S. government does nothing to protect children
Since the Vioxx scandal broke in late 2004, most Americans are all too familiar with the idea that prescription drugs can be dangerous and even deadly. But how would America react if it were to discover that a class of drugs being primarily prescribed to children was also dangerous and sometimes deadly...

Outcome-based comparison of Ritalin versus food-supplement treated children with AD/HD.
Harding KL, Judah RD, Gant C. Altern Med Rev. 2003 Aug; 8(3): 319-30.
" Twenty children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) were treated with either Ritalin (10 children) or dietary supplements (10 children) . . . Subjects in both groups showed significant gains . . . . . .Numerous studies suggest that biochemical heterogeneous etiologies for AD/HD cluster around at least eight risk factors: food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low-protein/high-carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, essential fatty acid and phospholipid deficiencies, amino acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, and B-vitamin deficiencies. . . . These findings support the effectiveness of food supplement treatment in improving attention and self-control in children with AD/HD and suggest food supplement treatment of AD/HD may be of equal efficacy to Ritalin treatment. "

Neurologist Dr. Fred Baughman talks about the fraud of ADHD and the poisoning of U.S. children
Mike: Hello everyone, this is Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and I'm talking about the mythical disease known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and the overmedication of the population, with Dr. Fred Baughman. I want to give you a little background about why I'm so interested in interviewing...

ADHD drugs to carry new warnings about psychotic behavior
(NewsTarget) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that several ADHD drugs must now carry information on the labels warning consumers of the risk of heart problems and psychotic behavior associated with taking the drugs. FDA spokeswoman Susan Bro says GlaxoSmithKline's...

New study: Pine bark extract reduces ADHD symptoms in children (press release)
A new study to be published in the June 17 edition of the journal of European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry shows a significant reduction of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children after supplementing with Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the...

Hyperkinesis and food additives: testing the Feingold hypothesis.
Harley JP, Ray RS, Tomasi L, Eichman PL, Matthews CG, Chun R, Cleeland CS, Traisman E, Pediatrics 1978 Jun;61(6):818-28
" Teacher ratings, objective classroom and laboratory observational data, attention-concentration, and other psychological measures obtained on 36 school-age, hyperactive boys under experimental and control diet conditions yielded no support for the Feingold hypothesis. Parental ratings revealed positive behavioral changes for the experimental diet; however, they seemed primarily attributable to one diet sequence. Parents' behavioral ratings on ten hyperactive, preschool boys indicated a positive response to the experimental diet; again, laboratory observations showed no diet effect. "
Note: This study was funded by the "Nutrition Foundation," a food additive and chemical industry organization. Harley claimed he found "no support" for the diet. Nevertheless, 100% of preschoolers and 63% of the group of older children who had done the "control" diet first improved on the Feingold diet in this study. Harley discounted the 63%, claiming an "order effect."
Upon reading the analysis of the Harley study by Dr. Bernard Weiss, Professor of Toxicology at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, it becomes clear that there was no actual "order effect" for the older children.
Without arguing the point, suffice it to say that the two groups of older children were not equal. The ones who were put on the Feingold diet after the control diet where off their medications several weeks longer than the ones put on the Feingold diet first. Since it was already known that stimulant medications increase the time necessary before an effect of diet is seen, we wonder why they were surprised to find this happening in this study (where those on the "control" diet first would have been off the meds several weeks more than the ones doing the Feingold diet first).

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children: rationale for its integrative management.
Kidd PM, Alternative Medicine Review 2000 Oct;5(5):402-28
This is a review of treatments. " . . . major etiologic contributors also include adverse responses to food additives, intolerances to foods, sensitivities to environmental chemicals, molds, and fungi, and exposures to neurodevelopmental toxins such as heavy metals and organohalide pollutants. Thyroid hypofunction may be a common denominator linking toxic insults with ADHD symptomatologies. Abnormalities in the frontostriatal brain circuitry and possible hypofunctioning of dopaminergic pathways are apparent in ADHD, and are consistent with the benefits obtained in some instances by the use of methylphenidate (Ritalin) . . . . Nutrient deficiencies are common in ADHD; supplementation with minerals, the B vitamins (added in singly), omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, flavonoids, and the essential phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) can ameliorate ADHD symptoms. When individually managed with supplementation, dietary modification, detoxification, correction of intestinal dysbiosis, and other features of a wholistic/integrative program of management, the ADHD subject can lead a normal and productive life."

The top ten things food companies don't want you to know
The giant food corporations have one mission: selling more food and beverage products to consumers. Succeeding with that mission depends on keeping consumers in the dark on certain issues such as the presence cancer-causing chemicals found in popular food products. Here are ten things the food...

Effects of artificial food colorings in children with hyperactive symptoms. A critical review and results of a controlled study.
Mattes JA, Gittelman R., Archives of General Psychiatry. 1981 Jun;38(6):714-8
" ... We sought to maximize the likelihood of demonstrating behavioral effects of artificial food colorings by (1) studying only children who were already on the Feingold diet and who were reported by their parents to respond markedly to artificial food colorings, (2) attempting to exclude placebo responders, and (3) administering high dosages of coloring. ... Evaluations by parents, teachers, and psychiatrists and psychological testing yielded no evidence of a food coloring effect."
Notes:

• Their "high dose" of coloring did not even change the color of the cookies from identical cookies without coloring.
• Many of the children could not eat all the cookies, so they did not receive the expected dose of coloring.
• Evaluations were not always done 1 1/2 hours after eating a cookie - we have a report from one parent that she was unable to give her child the cookie and then drive to the meeting place.
• This same parent reports her child's reactions were so severe that the after-school dance teachers could not keep her in class, and she missed school because reactions included ear infections.

ADHD kids calmed by pycnogenol, a natural pine bark extract
(NewsTarget) FoodNavigator-USA.com reports that a study published in European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry shows that a daily supplement of Pycnogenol, made from an extract of French maritime pine bark, helped children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). According...

Disturbed children: the role of food and chemical sensitivities
Menzies IC. Nutr Health.1984; 3(1-2): 39-54.
" . . . A number of case studies are presented which suggest that the difficulties encountered by a significant number of these children have much to do with idiosyncratic responses to foods and additives. This hypothesis requires careful research study at an early date for if validated it will have far reaching implications for the assessment and management of disturbed, delinquent and learning disordered children. Perhaps not enough attention has been paid to the role of biological and environmental factors in the development of children's problems. Certainly recent research has begun to provide support for the concept of environmental (ecologic) illness."

Fish oils treat ADHD better than prescription drugs, study shows
According to the results of a new study from the University of South Australia, fish oil is more effective at treating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than stimulant drugs, such as commonly prescribed Ritalin. The 15-week study, which included 132 children ages 7 to...

Dr. Mary Ann Block teaches alternatives to mainstream ADHD treatments for children and adults
Imagine a woman who went to medical school at age 39 to save her daughter from drugs wrongly prescribed for bladder infections. Imagine a woman who, armed with her new medical degree, decided to challenge decades of mainstream medical views on attention deficit disorder, autism and ear and respiratory...

Food intolerance and food allergy
Schnyder B, Pichler WJ, Schweiz Med Wochenschr 1999 Jun 19;129(24):928-33
"Confirmed adverse reactions to foods may be caused by toxic, enzymatic, pharmacological, "pseudoallergic" or allergic mechanisms. ... The most frequent differential diagnoses of true allergies are pseudoallergic reactions to food additives or pharmacological reactions to biogenic amines. The diagnosis of these reactions can usually be based on the history and course under a corresponding diet. In clinical practice additional investigations by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges are rarely required. ... The therapy of food intolerance is a corresponding diet..."

Introducing nine new made-up diseases for drug companies to exploit with mind-altering drugs (satire)
As the drug companies are running out of real diseases to boost their pharmaceutical sales, they're increasingly inventing new, fictitious diseases in order to scare people into thinking they have some sort of disorder or dysfunction. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is perhaps the best...

Food Dyes Impair Performance of Hyperactive Children on a Laboratory Learning Test
J. Swanson, M.Kinsbourne, Science magazine,March 28, 1980, Vol. 207. pp.1485-7
"The performance of the hyperactive children on paired-associate learning tests on the day they received the dye blend was impaired relative to their performance after they received the placebo, but the performance of the non-hyperactive group was not affected by the challenge..."
Note: Dr. Swanson used 100 mg and 150 mg of mixed food dye in his study. In a phone conversation with this author, he said he had been told that his use of a "toxic dose" had devalued his study. When informed of the amount of food dye per tablespoon in solid bright-colored candies and frosting, green ketchup, and powdered drinks, as measured by students at an Atlanta college, he was astonished. According to his math, students at a birthday party can easily consume 500-600 mg of food dye. If 150 mg is really a "toxic dose," then we need to seriously reconsider what we are allowing in the food sold for children, and we also need to rethink the fact that manufacturers refuse to reveal just how much coloring is actually in any of their products.

Psychiatric Drugs: Chemical Warfare on Humans - interview with Robert Whitaker
The following is a Street Spirit interview with Robert Whitaker, author of Mad In America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill. It is reprinted here with permission from the Street Spirit in Oakland, California. The...

Mass drugging of schoolchildren remains dark secret of public education, psychiatry
Believe it or not, until recently, it has been perfectly legal for schools to force schoolchildren to be put on psychoactive mind-altering drugs as a condition of attending that school. That is, the school administrator or counselor could insist that a certain child be dosed with mind-altering drugs...

Group of doctors accuses drug companies of inventing fictitious diseases to sell more prescription drugs
The Royal College of General Practitioners in the U.K. has accused drug companies of inventing fictitious diseases or exaggerating the severity of symptoms in order to boost drug sales. It's being called 'disease mongering' and the college explains that pharmaceutical companies are taking the National...

Mandatory mental health screening program would dose pregnant women with prescription drugs that cause birth defects
Bureaucrats in Chicago are currently discussing a proposal to require the mental health screening of all pregnant women and children up to the age of 18 years old. The purported mission of the program is to protect the health of the public by diagnosing mental disorders before they become full blown...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, has a simple cause: poor nutrition and food additives
New research is appearing now that's showing the link between the consumption of food additives by children -- especially food colorings -- and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Well-informed parents have long realized that the consumption of food additives causes hyperactivity in their...

The effects of a double blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colourings and benzoate preservative challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool children.
Bateman B et al, Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2004 Jun;89(6):506-11.
"AIMS: To determine whether artificial food colourings and a preservative in the diet of 3 year old children in the general population influence hyperactive behaviour. . . .RESULTS: There were significant reductions in hyperactive behaviour during the withdrawal phase. Furthermore, there were significantly greater increases in hyperactive behaviour during the active than the placebo period based on parental reports. . . .CONCLUSIONS: There is a general adverse effect of artificial food colouring and benzoate preservatives on the behaviour of 3 year old children . . . "
Note: The investigators suggest removing these from the diet of all children. Just think about it -- only 20 mg per day of coloring was used as the "challenge." Imagine the results had they used the 150 mg of coloring present in one (1) Tb of green ketchup.

Schoolchildren Are Increasingly Dosed With Both Ritalin and Anti-Psychotic Drugs, Says New Research
Researchers from the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt have found that anti-psychotic medications are being prescribed at an alarming rate for Tennessee children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. The use of anti-psychotic drugs has more than doubled since 1996, and today children...

Alternative and controversial treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Baumgaertel A, Pediatr Clin North Am 1999 Oct;46(5):977-92 Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
"... Scientific evidence suggests that individualized dietary management may be effective in some children. Trace element supplementation also may be beneficial when specific deficiencies are present. At this point, nootropics, herbs, and homeopathy are being seriously researched regarding their role in neurologic functioning, ... The primary care provider, the alternative "specialist," and the family all should be willing to engage in "collaborative research," applying the same standards for treatment evaluation that one would apply in mainstream methods. Communication among all parties involved in a treatment strategy is the key to demystifying alternative approaches, creating strong therapeutic relationships, and optimizing management."

The big Bush handout to pharmaceutical companies: mandatory mental health screening for entire U.S. population
The Bush administration's handouts to pharmaceutical companies just keep on coming. First, it was the Medicare discount drug card scam which turned out to be a system that guaranteed pharmaceutical industry profits thanks to sky-high prices of prescription drugs (the discounts were nonexistent). Next...

Attention deficit and infantile hyperactivity
Berdonces JL, Rev Enferm 2001 Jan;24(1):11-4
"... psychiatric medication has major risks in children. From complementary medicine we can find several aids in changing diet patterns and supplementing with vitamins or minerals. Chocolate, sugar, sweeteners, additives, preservatives, dyes, can enhance the incidence of this syndrome; instead the supplementation with lipids rich in PUFA's can prevent it. B complex vitamins, magnesium, copper, manganese or calcium can be interesting and in herbal medicine, sedative plants like passion flower, valerian or lemon balm are useful aids. Also liquorice, fennel and berries can be used for different physiological actions."

Ritalin stunts growth of children, says study
New research published in the journal Pediatrics reveals that children who take Ritalin for ADHD have their growth stunted by the drug. With over a million children already being dosed with this powerful narcotic, it seems bewildering that we're only now finding out about major side...

Drugging our kids: Nicotine patches for schoolchildren?
Smokers have long insisted that cigarettes helped them concentrate. Nicotine, it seems, exhibits powerful pharmacological effects on the brain. Now, some researchers are proposing that nicotine patches could help people with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD or ADHD, depending on which version...

Trace mineral levels in hyperactive children responding to the Feingold diet
Brenner A, Journal of Pediatrics 1979 Jun;94(6):944-5
Abstract [not included on MedLine]: "The Feingold hypothesis associating the hyperkinetic syndrome with ingestion of common food additives, artificial colors and flavors, and salicylate-containing foods has evoked considerable controversy. Since many children ingest these ubiquitous additives, and no differences in dietary habits have been noted between hyperkinetic and nonhyperkinetic children, it is possible that a biochemical difference may be present in children who appear to be affected by the additives."
20 children who responded to the Feingold diet, and 14 who did not were tested for copper and zinc levels in their blood. There was a significantly higher level of copper in the children who did respond to the diet. Possible reasons are discussed.

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