New Zealand study shows micronutrient supplement may help people with ADHD

From New Zealand TV:

A recent study has found that taking micronutrient supplements may have big benefits for sufferers of some mental illness.

University of Canterbury clinical psychologist Associate Professor Julia Rucklidge has studied the effect of micronutrients on behaviour and mood in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which affects an estimated 3% to 5% of adults.

Her research involved working with adult participants over an eight week period in which they took a 36-ingredient micronutrient formula that consisted of mainly vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

The participants were not taking any other medication.

Rucklidge noted significant improvements across measures of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, mood, quality of life, anxiety and stress, all with medium to very large effect sizes.

"Most of the individuals were in a moderate to severe depressed state at the commencement of the trial and at the end of the eight weeks the mean score on the depression measure fell in the normal nondepressed range, which is a fairly remarkable change in such a short time, especially given that many had not experienced such improvements with other conventional treatments" says Rucklidge.

Participants were monitored for a further two months with and without the micronutrients, those on the formula showed further improvements.