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Ritalin Causes Chromosome Damage
Ritalin may be a time bomb. It is the
popular drug used to address attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD).
In a recent study, University of Texas (UT) researchers recruited a dozen
children who were about eight years old. All of the children had been
diagnosed with ADHD, but none of them had been treated yet. Blood samples
were taken from each child before and after a three-month trial period in
which each child received a normal therapeutic dose of Ritalin (20 to 54
mg per day).
When blood samples were analyzed, the UT team found that chromosomal
damage to white blood cells sharply increased in all of the children
during the test period. Researchers cautioned that this does not
necessarily mean that Ritalin causes cancer, but they were alarmed that
every child experienced a dramatic increase in chromosome damage over such
a short period of time.
The lead investigator of the study, Marvin Legator, Ph.D., told WebMD
Medical News that this outcome presents a "potentially very large risk
factor."
The body has mechanisms that repair chromosomal breaks. Whether or not the
breaks caused by Ritalin might lead to cancer over time will need to be
determined with more extensive research. Meanwhile, without knowing it,
many thousands of parents are rolling the dice on the future health of
their children.
You can read a detailed account from Dr. Spreen about the profound impact
that dietary factors have on attention and hyperactivity in children in
the e-Alert "How to Dismantle an '89 Ford" (6/3/02), which can be found in
the e-Alert archive on our web site:
www.hsibaltimore.com .
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
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