Natural Standard in Wellness Times

Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, Founder and CEO of Natural Standard, authored a new blog for Wellness Times.

Back-to-School Brain Boost: Dr. Ulbricht reviews diet and lifestyle modifications that may help boost brain and body health for the new school year. She discusses the benefits of exercise, zinc iodine, sleep and eating more fruits and vegetables. To read the full blog, please visit www.wellnesstimes.com.

Comments

[J Squared]

Absolutely loved reading this article! Very easy to read and understandable. This is some great information that children and parents should be made aware of in regards to helping their children’s health and succeed more in school. Completely agree with the part that children need to spend more time outdoors to clear their mind and interact with others and nature. When I was younger my grandparents would take me out to parks to play with others all the time, and it always made my day.

[Nancy]

Nowadays, with so many video games and many social media websites that take up young adolescents' time, it is easier said than done to incorporate exercise into one's lifestyle. Same goes for healthy eating with more fruits and vegetables, when there are vending machines full of high fat, high sodium snacks and sugary drinks. I like how Dr. Ulbright's blog offers options how to incorporate these concepts into our children's lives. It's good to know that good supplementation of zinc and iron is crucial components for our children to succeed in school. We will need to be more mindful of what we put on the dinner table.

[Brooksie]

Getting enough sleep is perhaps the most essential and easily controlled "brain booster" for going back to school. The National Sleep Foundation recommends children ages 5 to 12 should be getting 10 to 11 hours of sleep, while teenagers need around 9.25 hours of sleep to function best. According to the NSF website, biological sleep patterns shift during adolescence towards later sleep and wake times... making it difficult for most teens to fall asleep before 11 PM. With most middle and high school agendas beginning around 7 AM, I can't help but question if schools really have their students best interest in mind with this early morning start. It also means that parents have a responsibility to make sure students are going to bed on time.

[Tampa bay]

One part of the article that I found to be particularly important was the mention of iodine and thyroid function. As the article points out, iodine is needed to make sufficient thyroid hormone which is essential for proper metabolism and cognitive function. Hypothyroidism is a serious and common disease state, and something that should be watched for during childhood and adolescence.  Fatigue and weight gain are classic symptoms of low thyroid levels. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent irreversible developmental delay. 

[Gators girl]

This article highlights a new potential role for zinc that will surely make it a more popular supplement. However, I think it is just as important for the public to be made aware of the adverse effects of taking too much zinc. After doing a little research on the NIH website, I found that excessive levels of zinc can lead to gastrointestinal issues (including upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea) and decreased urine output. The NIH website also lists that the recommended adult dose of zinc is between 9 and 11 mg daily (and toxicity begins at 35 to 40mg daily). I did not find a suggested daily dose for children.

[fL RPh]

As a retail pharmacist,  I find this article to be helpful in providing me with some "natural" alternatives to the frequently prescribed stimulants for ADHD in children. Stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin are some of the most frequently dispensed drugs in the retail setting.  I am disheartened when I see an entire family of children being put on this medication, but after reading this article I am encouraged to have a discussion with their parents about some natural alternatives.  Most people are aware of zinc's potential to boost the immune system, but hearing about its potential role in improving focus is news to me. I look forward to sharing this new information with my patients, and just goes to show that Natural Standard is a current and relatable resource.

[Marina]

I agree with the previous comment - I would also hesitate before giving a child melatonin supplements. I would first try to check if there is something incorrect with the child's sleep hygiene. There probably is some underlying cause why a child can't fall asleep, and the best way to fix it would be to target the cause. I would also consider trying music therapy which is evidence grade B and aromatherapy which is evidence grade C according to Natural Standard.

[My Lien T. Nguyen]

This article should help not only parents wanting to prepare their children for back to school, but also a reminder to us all the importance of good nutrition, exercise, and sleep for optimal brain function! Sleep is finally getting the attention it deserves as an important factor to our well-being.

[anonymous]

This blog post is really interesting. Parents are constantly trying to give their kids an advantage when it comes to learning and school. These are really helpful tips that parents can use to do just that and get their kids back into the swing of things smoother. It always seemed to take me a couple of weeks before I was used to being back in school. I will have to keep the tips from this article in mind for future use. Its hard though to try to get kids to eat more fruits and veggies. Parents have been trying to figure out a way to do that for their kids for decades.

[ki]

This was a great article to prepare for the back to school season! I also was unaware that zinc had such a high evidence rating for treating ADHD. It is nice to see a natural treatment in a disease state so often treated with strong prescription drugs, especially with all of the recent ADHD drug shortages. I am also interested in iodine supplementation in children, I wonder how often children present with low iodine. With iodized salt available, I was under the impression that low iodine in children is not very common. Perhaps this is an often overlooked deficiency causing learning disabilities.

[weezy]

I too was amazed to hear about the beneficial ADD/ADHD qualities of zinc. I also think it would be really neat to see it's effects in a randomized trial vs another traditional ADHD med. I really enjoyed this blog. I think it is important for parents to teach healthy eating habits to children while they are young so they can practice and develop good techniques as they grow. My mother has always been very health conscious and I am thankful she taught me so much about health and it's importance growing up as a child. She also always provided healthy nutritious meals for my siblings and me and I have been able to remember recipes and tips she taught me throughout my childhood. Bad habits are hard to break so it's important parents don't just let children have all the candy, sugary drinks, and fast food that they want growing up, even though it's probably a lot easier to give that to them than it is to prepare a nutritious meal. I think an unhealthy diet might also contribute a lot to ADD/problematic children. Think about all the sugar kids love to consume and how it effects their bodies :/

[AS]

I like that this article while offering some treatments such as zinc really stresses on the importance of a good diet and sleep to really allow children to perform their best during school. I think we often forget about some of the simple things we can do to help our bodies function like they are supposed to and therefore increase our quality of life.

[Carla]

Great article! One supplement mentioned was melatonin for use as a sleep aid, which has a Natural Standard evidence grade of A for jet lag and a grade of B for sleep enhancement in healthy people. I heard that it might affect hormones so I looked in Natural Standard’s professional monograph for melatonin. I found that it may have an effect on luteinizing hormone, and I wonder how much research has been done on that connection.

[Robynholman]

Before I read this article I was concerned about recommending products for children to take. This is already a society where everyone is looking for the "magic pill". I was worried that the article would be geared towards giving children products that could enhance their cognition making them "super students" or increase productivity, etc. I am glad I took the time to read the article, because it makes recommendations that are easy and natural. Kids should play outside after class and get exercise. They should have a good night's sleep each night. They should get their daily recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals. If they are lucky, they will carry these habits into their adult life, too.

[NA]

I was surprised to read about the use of zinc in ADHD and the use of iodine in the improvement of cognitive function. In addition to discussing the benefits of incorporating more fruits and veggies, the suggestions for alternative lunch and snack options are great and seem very feasible. I found this article to be beneficial as it offers some important lifestyle tips that many of us could apply, even if we’re not returning to the classroom this fall.

[Nicole]

Great featured post! You always hear about taking zinc for a cold, but not commonly ADD. I did a bit of research and it looks like zinc works to help combat attention disorders in multiple ways, from acting as an antioxidant, to its roles in thyroid function and melatonin production. It's also good to inform readers that ADD/ADHD should not be self treated and that a health care professional should be consulted before trying alternative remedies.

[RG]

Great Read! I never knew that Zinc could be beneficial for ADHD. I understand that data is not conclusive on this topic, however it would be interesting to see if a randomized trial is conducted using zinc vs. another ADHD prescription medication. If the results showed benefits that would be great, since it would probably decrease amphetamine addictions or abuse, as well as provide the benefits of zinc (immune system booster).

[anonymous]

I had no idea that could be used for ADHD in children, and it has an evidence grade of a B! Other points in this article were also very good too. Eating right and getting a good night of sleep is also important for adults to maintain their health. Those two factors seem irreplaceable regardless of what supplements you can introduce. I am not sure though that I would feel comfortable giving my children melatonin supplements. I wonder how common it is for children to have problems falling asleep. I would most likely check with their pediatrician first to see if there was an underlying issue if a child couldn’t fall asleep.

[anonymous]

I just read this blog on wellnesstimes.com. This article had some great ideas! I was previously aware of the potential for zinc in boosting the immune system and have personally used Cold-eeze in the past. However, I had no idea that Zinc had a Natural Standard evidence grade of B for ADHD. This would be an interesting option to discuss with a health care provider. Additionally, I liked how the article provided examples of foods with a high iodine content to help supplement cognitive function. Getting a good night’s sleep and an adequate amount of exercise is also always a great idea too, no matter if it’s summertime or back to school!