Are there any dietary supplements that aid in mood balancing in young children?

Have a 4 year old son with problems coping, and meltsdown easily. His therapist has suggested I investigate the use of dietary supplements, ie. fish oils etc.

Sugar and Caffine? It stops ADHD tendancies, give the child a mt dew in the am and see how he reacts.

Don't take this the wrong way, but feed him real food. Our country thrives on the production of fake food. Everything is filled with chemicals and dyes and other stuff that is unatural. Our kids eat this from the time the are in our bellies and feeding them it. Nothing natural is white...yet we eat white rice, bread, salt, sugar, etc. In a world in which so many of our parents are quick to give their kids FDA appoved drugs to change their childrens personalities, I wish they would concider that they have been doing just that for years. I am happy you are going the dietary route, but I would say start with natural food. Limit the sugar intake...natural and unnatural. Its an upper that is probably helping him to be high strung. I would also suggest you research brain gym...and concider getting him into some relaxation rituals.
MAKE SURE HE IS DRINKING LOTS OF WATER!

Stand firm and don't put him on drugs. He may just need to mature. This is common among boys.

Finally, from a behavioral standpoint, give him tools to fix his problem. You are already aware that this is a peice of his personality, so don't punish or yell at him for it...instead get him in the habit of recognizing the behavior and fixing it. This may sound crazy cuz he is four, but it could be as simple as pointing out when he his getting upset, and giving him a ritual. "Junior, you are getting very angry/sad/silly. That is not appropriate now, so go sit in your room and play with your, "emotion bear or draw a picture, or sing your song, etc." Anything that he can do on his own that can calm him down. As he gets older, then you can begin trying to help him explore his feelings verbally at four they probably are not verbal enough for this....think about how frustrating that could be.

Fish oil supplements are an excellent suggestion. You may need to find chewable, flavored forms that a 4 year old can 'take'.

There are many biochemical and physiological problems that can contribute to your son's behavior. In addition to the possibility of a fatty acid imbalance (thus the fish oils), other common possibilities include:

1) Heavy Metal Toxicities - e.g. lead, mercury, etc. These can be tested by a special urine test by a doctor trained in this field.

2) Intestinal imbalance of normal bacteria (microflora). This is called Intestinal Dysbiosis. If you son has ever taken antibiotics or antacids/acid inhibitors he is at risk. If the normal, healthy gut bacteria have been replaced by toxic bacteria (dysbiosis) this can lead to toxins being absorbed that can affect brain function. Dysbiosis can also cause inflammation in the gut - another source of brain toxins. Dysbiosis can also cause a 'leaky gut' that allows absorption of partially digested proteins and even entire bacteria. This can lead to liver injury and/or food allergies that can also affect brain function.

3) Vitamin and mineral deficiency is common today. Growing brains and tissues of children can be especially 'sensitive' to inadequate levels of basic nutrients. Many common vitamin/mineral deficiencies have been associated with behavioral problems and poor brain function.

These are just a few, common possibilities. You may want to find a good Chiropractor, Naturopathic Physician, Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN), or Medical Doctor with training/expertise in the areas mentioned.

Best wishes and good luck.

P.S. The first answerer also gave some good advice.

Bill, you need a dietary supplement that has been proven to work through scientific studies. The one herb that has helped for children with mood and attention problems is bacopa monniera. It's commercially available as Memo Plus Gold. Please visit this website for more details www.sindor.com

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