Re: Question for DR. J.

[Anonymous]

I’m not going to involve myself in a war of words about homeopathy. However, I suspect that some of the “other ingredients” in Attend, as listed on their website, might just have some activity in ADHD. Here is the list:

Medium Chain Triglycerides, L-Tyrosine, Alpha-Linolenic Acid, Green Tea Powder, Trifolium Pratense, Flax Seed Powder, Phosphatidycholine, Phosphatidylethanolamine, Phosphatidylinositol, EPA, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, DL-Methionine, L-Glutamic Acid, GABA, DMAE, Ginkgo Biloba, DHA, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Eicosatrienoic Acid (from GLA powder), Arachidonic Acid, Glycine, DL-Phenylalanine, Radix Heraclei, Caproic Acid, Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Lauric Acid, Pentadecanoic Acid, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Arachidic Acid (from GLA powder), Oleic Acid, L-Glutathione, DiCalcium Pantothenate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine, L-Cysteine, L-Cystine, Pycnogenol, Gotu Kola, Phosphatidylserine, NADH, L-5HTP, and Chromium Nicotinate, Gelatin, Rice Flour and Dextrose.

I know that tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) are two amino acids from which the body can make dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine–the three catecholamines. The educational material on this site explains that medications work by treating a deficiency of DA and/or NE. So yes, I highly suspect that Attend could be helpful with ADHD…to a point.

You see, the synthesis (producing by chemical reaction) of the catecholamines requires specific enzymes in order to occur in our lifetime. Without those enzymes, they won’t be made. With too little of those enzymes, some will be made, but not all of the Tyr and Phe in the Attend supplement will help. This means that some people might get a huge benefit while others might not…depending on what enzymes they have in their bodies.

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