Study Links Enzyme Disorder with Neurological Health

Study Links Enzyme Disorder with Neurological Health

When Little Johnny Shouldn’t Drink Milk…

(6/15/08, Manhattan). The results of a decade long study conducted in the Norwegian town of Stavanger offers this simplistic option to parents with children suffering from hyperactive disorders including ADHD: Change their diet.

23 children from Norway’s southwestern region — ages four to 11 and all diagnosed with hyperactive disorders — were put on milk-free and/or gluten-free diets based on theories developed by Dr. Karl Ludvig Reichelt. Reichelt believes that children afflicted with such disorders suffer from a metabolic problem that hinders the adequate breakdown of certain proteins. So, eating certain foods like milk and gluten may accelerate ADHD (and other disorders) because these children lack an enzyme that breaks down proteins like casein (which is found in milk and enables milk-clotting to make cheese). Reichelt felt that reducing the intake of foods containing proteins would assist proper digestion thus allowing the patients’ hyperactivity to be controlled.

22 of the Norwegian children taken off milk products and other foods containing casein showed an almost immediate improvement in their mental health (including overall behavior), an enhanced attention span plus increased learning capabilities. But, the symptoms returned as soon as the foods were reintroduced into their diets. Most of those involved in the study had been taking medications like Ritalin to treat their diagnosed disorders prior to changing their diets. However, after adjusting their food intake, they were soon taken off the medicine.

Long-term monitoring of these children has found their disorders to be manageable while the challenges they once faced have virtually disappeared.

The study’s result came as no surprise to Dr. Josh Handt, a Manhattan-based chiropractor. “There are three types of stress that impact how our bodies perform. Psychological stress is commonly enhanced by money problems, struggling relationships or issues at work. Our ability to deal with those problems has a positive impact on our bodies. Physical stress is remedied by how we care for our bodies through exercise, etc. The children described in the study battled bio-chemical stress fueled by what they put into their bodies. The food and medicines we intake directly affect how we function,” states Handt.
Similar international research has already linked the protein disorder with autism and schizophrenia. Now, this study points to ADHD and its kind stemming from the same digestive disorder.

“Be fit. Eat right. Think well. That’s the road towards good health. Like those 22 children in Norway, it is often enough to simply adjust our diets before administrating any medications. The old cliché, ‘You are what you eat,’ is a fairly accurate statement,” concluded a smiling Handt.

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Reference:
“Diet Changes Give Hyperactive Kids New Taste for Life in Norway,” by Nina Larson, AFP and Yahoo! News, Feb. 24, 2008.

Spinal Adjustments May Lower Blood Pressure

Spinal Adjustments May Lower Blood Pressure
Chiropractic journal reports results of new study
According to a recent article in The Journal of Chiropractic Education, a team of New Zealand researchers has found a correlation betweenchiropractic adjustments of the neck and lower back and reduced blood pressure. The 63 participants in the case study were divided into two random groups. After subjecting those studied to a short period of relaxation in a sitting position, chiropractors took blood pressure readings from both arms of the subjects. In the experimental group, a spinal adjustment of the cervical (neck), lumbosacral (lower back), and thoracic (chest) area was performed – depending on needs of the individual patients. In the control group, patients received only gentle digital pressure on their spine. The same doctors who recorded the initial blood pressure results (and who performed the adjustments or digital pressure) then took new readings.
The results were surprising. To date, most studies concerning the effects of a chiropractic adjustment on one’s blood pressure have been inconclusive. The New Zealand study, however, showed a direct impact on participants’ blood pressure levels. Those in the experimental group showed “statistically significant changes of systolic and diastolic blood pressure.” Subjects whose cervical (neck) and lumbosacral (lower back) were adjusted showed a decrease in their blood pressure, while subjects whose thoracic (chest)
was adjusted showed an increase in blood pressure. In contrast, the control group, which received no adjustments but only gentle digital pressure, showed much less significant changes in blood pressure.

“It is too early to assess the clinical aspects of these results,” Dr. Josh Handt said when contacted about the study. Dr. Josh, whose chiropractic offices are located in New York NY, follows developments in chiropractic science closely. “I am encouraged by these promising results,” Dr. Josh said. “However, further trials on
vertebral subluxation—that is, a mechanical problem in the spine that disrupts proper functioning of the body’s nervous system—and its effects on blood pressure are needed and should include longer term follow-up as well.”

Those seeking additional information regarding this study may contact Dr. Josh Handt directly at 91 Central Park West, New York, NY, 10023, telephone (212) 580-3350.
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Reference:
Kelly Holt, B. Sc. (Chiro), Randy W. Beck, B. Sc., D.C., Ph. D., New Zealand College of
Chiropractic, and Stephen G. Sexton, B. App. Sc. (Clin.), B. Chiro. Sci., D.A.C.N.B.,
Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies. “Reflex Effects of a Spinal Adjustment on Blood
Pressure,” The Journal of Chiropractic Education, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2006.