Grills 1

Lindsay Grills

English Composition 2

ENG.1201.525

March 13, 2020

The Literature Review

Every year hundreds to thousands of children and adults are diagnosed with ADHD.

Many of these people are medicated but these medications can lead to various side effects, such

as headache, dizziness, nausea, and loss of appetite. Many people have switched over to using

homeopathic treatments in order to stop the side effects that come with taking medications. But

the question that remains on many peoples mind is, how are homeopathic treatments more

effective than normal medication treatments in Children and Adults with ADHD? According to

Jacobs, the earliest references to an ADHD-like disorder date back to the late-18th century and

Sir Alexander Crichton. Some even try to say that many famous people and historical figures

could have had ADHD, such as Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, or Ben Franklin. The first

descriptions of children with ADHD symptoms are made as early as 1902 by Sir George

Frederick Still and were thought to have a 'defect of moral control’.

There are a few key points argued throughout all of these sources. Loscalzo, argues that

Ritalin is by far the most common medication used amongst children and adults with ADHD, but

can be dampening when it comes to patients being able to express their feelings. Fibert argues

that Ritalin doesn't just change a person feelings but greatly affects their personality as well,

stating that these patients,“ become more docile and obedient, are able to focus on boring and

repetitive tasks” (Filbert, 2016). Many sources also argue that a change in vitamins and minerals

in people with ADHD can help to reduce the signs and symptoms that come with ADHD, such as
 Grills 2

problems focusing on everyday tasks or becoming overly hyper and easily distracted. Jennifer

Jacobs in her article states that “Zinc is an important cofactor in the synthesis of

neurotransmitters, fatty acids, prostaglandins and melatonin. It also indirectly affects dopamine

metabolism, which, as discussed previously, is considered to be intimately involved in

ADHD”(Jacobs, 2015). David Brulé in his article states that “zinc nutrition is an important factor

in the treatment of ADHD. Bekaroglu found low serum free fatty acids and zinc in ADHD

subjects and conclude that zinc deficiency may play a role in the etiology of ADHD” (Brulé,

2016). Heiner Frei in his article states that “ADHD is one of the most common disorders of

childhood, occurring in 3–5% of children, with male to female ratios ranging from 3:1 to 9:1.

Common medical treatments include stimulants, such as methylphenidate (MPD, Ritalins).

Parents who do not want such medication for their child increasingly seek homeopathic

alternatives” (Frei, 2017).

Many of these sources seem to disagree about some of the benefits and disadvantages of

using medications and/or homeopathic therapy to treat ADHD. In her article Ritamarie Loscalzo

argues that making a commitment to managing ADHD using an integrated approach may not

result in complete abolition of the need for pharmaceutical intervention, but it does promise a

significant reduction in the widespread, long term use of such a risky intervention. She bases

these claims on a study that was performed by Harvard. While Philippa Filbert argues the

opposite, claiming that while Ritalin can change a persons personality it is the only affective way

to treat a patient with ADHD and that some homeopathic remedies have been known to be

affective there is not enough conclusive data to prove that homeopathic remedies are more

affective than medicines such as Ritalin. Filberts article appeared in the Daily Telegraph a

newspaper published in London. While both of these sources use credible data and evidence and
 Grills 3

seem to be reliable, their purposes for conducting research are very different. In the Harvard

study done by Loscalzo she proposed that the use of alternate dietary and nutritional

interventions could help to reduce and even stop the signs and symptoms that come with having

ADHD. Filberts article that appeared in the Daily Telegraph, the purpose of the article was to

prove that homeopathic remedies are not the most affective in treating children and adults with

ADHD. Both articles claims seem to be affected by their purposes.

In her article Jennifer Jacobs argues that concern about side effects, such as tics,

insomnia, and irritability, as well as questions about the long-term safety of these medicines and

personal preference to avoid stimulants, has led many parents to seek alternative treatments for

ADHD. Homeopathy is a highly systemized medical therapy based on the principle of similars,

which posits that substances that can cause symptoms in healthy people can cure similar

symptoms in those who are ill. The use of stimulants to treat ADHD can be seen as a modern-

day example of this principle. Homeopathic remedies are made from plant, animal, and mineral

substances, which are diluted to extremely small doses for use in clinical practice. Despite these

high dilutions, there is a significant body of literature suggesting the clinical efficacy of

homeopathy when compared to placebo, although this evidence is not conclusive. She bases

these claims on a study that was performed by the University of Washington. While David Brulé

argues the opposite, claiming that while the use of homeopathic treatment has been shown to be

affective in some patients in those that use Ritalin they are more affective in their everyday lives.

Brulé's article appeared in the Toronto Star a newspaper published in Canada. Heiner Frei argues

that treating ADHD with homeopathy is a most demanding task. It often takes a long time to

identify the specific medication that corresponds to the symptoms of the individual patient.

Frequently parents find it very difficult to describe the symptoms of their child, a fact that is
 Grills 4

probably related to their extreme changeability. Frei’s article appeared in the American Journal

of Homeopathic Medicine. While both of these sources use credible data and evidence and seem

to be reliable, their purposes for conducting research are very different. In the University of

Washington study done by Jacobs she proposed that the use of alternate dietary and nutritional

interventions could help to reduce and even stop the signs and symptoms that come with having

ADHD. Brulé's article that appeared in the Toronto Star, the purpose of the article was to prove

that homeopathic remedies are not the most effective in treating children and adults with ADHD

and that instead the use of both homeopathic medicine and alternate medicines may be the way

to treating ADHD. Both articles claims seem to be affected by their purposes.

While doing this research I have found that the answer to my question may not be as

easily discovered or answered as I had originally thought, the answer is more complicated as

their are various ways to treat ADHD. What I am still curious about is how the use of medicines

such as Ritalin even when combined with a placebo or homeopathic medicine can affect the

people that take these medications? What side effects can occur and what should a parent or

guardian do to prevent these side effects? I think with more research these questions and so many

more can be answered.

Works Cited
 Grills 5

Brulé, David. "Study design of a Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial of the Homeopathic

Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." Homeopathy, vol. 105,

no. 1, 2016, p. 27. OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center,

doi:10.1016/J.HOMP.2015.12.045.

Fibert, Philippa, et al. "A comparative consecutive case series of 20 children with a diagnosis of

ADHD receiving homeopathic treatment, compared with 10 children receiving usual

care." Homeopathy, vol. 105, no. 2, 2016, pp. 194-201. OhioLINK Electronic Journal

Center, doi:10.1016/J.HOMP.2015.09.008.

Frei, H. “Randomised Controlled Trials of Homeopathy in Hyperactive Children: Treatment

Procedure Leads to an Unconventional Study Design: Experience with Open-Label

Homeopathic Treatment Preceding the Swiss ADHD Placebo Controlled, Randomised,

Double-Blind, Cross-over Trial.” Homeopathy, vol. 96, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 35–41.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.homp.2006.11.004.

Jacobs, Jennifer. “Homeopathy for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot

Randomized-Controlled Trial.” Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, vol.

11, no. 5, Oct. 2015, p. 799. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edb&AN=18977610&site=eds-live.

Loscalzo, Ritamarie. “An Integrated Approach to the Management of Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children: The Role of Dietary and Nutritional

Interventions.” Nutritional Perspectives: Journal of the Council on Nutrition, vol. 27, no.

4, Oct. 2017, pp. 33–44. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=fsr&AN=15790019&site=eds-live.
Grills 6