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Research Identifies Natural Treatments for ADHD, Compulsive Gambling

Findings to be published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience report that an extract from French maritime pine trees called Pycnogenol may help ease the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study examined 57 Slovakian children with ADHD. Forty-one of these children received Pycnogenol while 16 received a placebo for one month. They took no other drugs or supplements during this time.

Stress hormones were measured in blood and urine samples taken at the before treatment, at the end of treatment and one month after discontinuation. Results showed stress hormones were an average of 26.2 percent lower in children who took the extract.

Meanwhile, in an eight week trial, 27 compulsive gamblers were given N-acetyl cysteine, an amino acid impacting glutamate, a chemical associated with reward circuitry in the brain. Sixty percent of these participants reported decreased gambling urges during this time. Those who responded positively went on to do a second, double-blind experiment in which half of the participants received a placebo while others continued with the amino acid treatment. Eight-three percent of those who took the amino acid continued to report fewer gambling urges, while 72 percent of participants on the placebo went back to gambling.

Read more: New Study: Pine Bark Extract Reduces ADHD Symptoms in Children

Health-food supplement might help compulsive gamblers: study