ADHD and magnesium

There are suggestions that children suffering from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be in fact displaying the results of a mild magnesium deficiency. The deficiency may cause irritability, decreased attention spans, and mental confusion. The clinical study below observed 116 children with ADHD, and found a striking 95% to be magnesium deficient. In a separate clinical study, 75 magnesium-deficient children with ADHD were chosen at random to receive either magnesium supplements in addition to standard treatment or just standard treatment without the supplements for a period of 6 months. Those who received the magnesium supplements displayed significant improvements in behavior, while those who received only the usual therapy, without magnesium supplements, were observed to display deteriorating behavior.

These results suggest that magnesium supplementation, or at least high amounts of magnesium in the diet and magnesium rich foods, may prove to be beneficial for children with ADHD.

Source-

Starobrat-Hermelin B, Kozielec T. The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD): positive response to magnesium oral loading test. Magnesium Research. 1997; 10(2):149-156.