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Double-Blind Study Shows DEN Works for ADHD

Posted on : January 11, 2019 by Hardy Nutritionals®No Comments

Micronutrient Treatment "Daily Essential Nutrients" Proven to Reduce ADHD Symptoms: Fully Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Isaiah​, who at the age of 9 was unable to focus long enough to tie his shoelaces or brush his teeth due to ADHD, is now a master skateboarder who excels in school. He had been expelled from several schools because of his severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. His mother, Erica, credits Hardy's micronutrients Daily Essential Nutrients, for his "amazing progress".  Before participating in the double-blind study where he was randomly assigned to take the micronutrients, his mother commented that Isaiah had tried "all types of ADHD medication and they made his anxiety worse.  He became zombified enough to sit in school, but the exuberant little boy I knew was gone..."


VIDEO: Micronutrients Are Positively Impacting ADHD Symptoms

Many parents seek out relief for their children, but some are reluctant to medicate due to the side-effects of stimulants.  Even many adults who suffer from ADHD are concerned about long-term stimulant usage and the potential resulting negative effects on their health.

Going without medication isn't an option for many, due to the anxiety and lack of focus that are so often a part of living with ADHD.

To make matters worse, it has been difficult to find proven, effective alternatives backed by medical science. 

Until now.

Finally, a Researched Alternative to Psychiatric Medications for ADHD & Emotional Regulation

Researchers from the University of Otago, the University of Canterbury, the Canterbury District Health Board and Oregon Health & Science University have been working hard to systematically evaluate Daily Essential Nutrients as a treatment for childhood ADHD. Their findings were published on Oct. 2 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

The researchers commented, “This is the first fully-blinded, randomized, controlled trial of medication-free children with ADHD assigned to either micronutrients or placebo…” Half of the study participants (aged from 7 – 12 years) were randomly assigned Daily Essential Nutrients and the other half were assigned placebo [micronutrient look-alike pills with no active ingredients] for 10 weeks.  Study participants in the micronutrient group took an average of 11.8 capsules of Daily Essential Nutrients per day, or 4 with each meal, which is the clinical dose.

micronutrient treatment shown to improve aggression mood adhd children natural

Here are the key findings from the research:

  • Daily Essential Nutrients significantly improved attention.
    • Researchers found that “Inattentive symptoms appeared to be improved more than hyperactive-impulsive symptoms… 32% of those on micronutrients versus 9% of those on placebo showed a substantial change (30% drop) in inattentive symptoms.” (Clinician ADHD - attention sub-scale, p=0.005)

  • Daily Essential Nutrients dramatically improved emotional regulation and aggression.
    • Researchers found that “Twice as many of the children who entered the trial with severe mood dysregulation, and were randomized to micronutrients, showed a clinically significant improvement in emotional dysregulation compared with placebo (41% vs. 20%)… These measures tapped into behaviours including hot tempers, fights with other children, explosive angry outbursts, and moods changing rapidly for no reason. These improvements on emotional control were consistent across the three raters (clinician, parent and teacher).”  (Parent Conduct Problems ratings, p=0.015; Teacher Emotional Control ratings, p=0.009) 
    • Researchers acknowledged that “Management of emotional dysregulation presents a considerable therapeutic challenge for parents, teachers and clinicians…” and were very encouraged by what the study results meant for the lives of the children involved, concluding that “These improvements bode well for improving life outcomes.”

  • Daily Essential Nutrients was safe: there were no differences in side effects between the micronutrient and placebo group.
    • Researchers concluded the study by commenting, “In addition to conferring the symptom improvements, the micronutrients were safe and well-tolerated over the course of the 10-week trial and as such, they may have an important role in the treatment of childhood ADHD, particularly in cases where conventional stimulant medication is not viable, either due to ineffectiveness, poor tolerability or parental preference."
  • Daily Essential Nutrients significantly reduced impairment and improved overall function.
    • Clinician ratings identified that “...47% of those on micronutrients [were] ‘much’ to ‘very much’ improved versus 28% on placebo.” (Overall Clinician Global Assessment Improvement, p=0.029)  The study authors reported: “Many parents commented that...their child was calmer, more able to be reasoned with, and happier.”

The impact Daily Essential Nutrients is having in research circles and, more importantly, in the everyday lives of individuals is gathering attention. It even has some reporters speculating that micronutrients may be "the answer to the mental health crisis" plaguing most developed nations.

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind-studies are the gold standard of scientific rigor, and across multiple disorders and different supplement formulas, micronutrient therapy is proved to be effective and reliable.  There are now a number of double-blind, randomized controlled trials (RCT) supporting the positive effects of broad-spectrum micronutrients for the treatment of symptoms associated with clinical conditions, including autism, ADHD, conduct disorder, and depression.

Even the psychiatric community is beginning to embrace micronutrients for mental health

A prominent psychiatric textbook, "Complementary and Integrative Treatments in Psychiatric Practice", published in 2017 by the American Psychiatric Association, features broad-spectrum micronutrients as a “physiologically sensible approach” to treating mood and mental health disorders.

complementary and integrative treatme...Daily Essential Nutrients is a powerful micronutrient formulation backed by multiple independent university studies for a wide range of mood and mental health disorders including ADHD.  Now available worldwide without a prescription for children and adults, a growing number of healthcare providers are providing the micronutrient blend to patients who need assistance transitioning from medications.  To find a healthcare provider near you who works with micronutrients, visit the Healthcare Professional Locator.

Learn more about Daily Essential Nutrients at Try.GetHardy.com.

Source: Vitamin-mineral treatment improves aggression and emotional regulation in children with ADHD: a fully blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2017 Oct 2. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12817. [Epub ahead of print] Rucklidge JJ, Eggleston MJF, Johnstone JM, Darling K, Frampton CM.

Hardy Nutritionals® multivitamin-mineral products are powered by our proprietary NutraTek™ mineral delivery technology, which combines each mineral with specialized organic molecules—just like nature—to optimize absorption and distribution to body cells. Our flagship supplement, Daily Essential Nutrients, is widely considered to be the most research-backed micronutrient treatment.
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