We always tell our children about the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. Yet many of our kids don’t do it, especially since colorful, artificially-flavored drinks and sodas are far more enticing and pleasant-tasting. Yet when it comes to ADHD natural treatments, water is an important part of any treatment plan. In fact, water is essential to maintaining overall good health; after oxygen, it is the second most important nutritional element.
The body is made up of 60-70% water, and the brain requires adequate hydration in order to function well. Do you recall how neurotransmitters – the chemical messengers of the brain – travel from neuron to neuron to trigger cognitive processes like attention and learning? They use the water in the brain as their means of travel.
Can you imagine what would happen to a child’s brain function if he or she does not have enough water to carry information? Imagine that a raging, white-water river is one of the brain’s neural pathways. Now picture a boat traveling through this river, carrying a messenger with vital information. A white-water river has a swift current that allows the messenger to reach his destination without delay. This is a brain that functions at its best, capable of generating new ideas, learning new concepts, and accomplishing great things. Now, picture this river during a drought. The water’s levels are low, and the current moves slowly, if at all. Traveling on a dry river will take a long while for the boat to reach its destination. Worse, the boat might end up drifting aimlessly or getting beached onto a sandy cove. This is the brain of a child with ADHD who drinks nothing but sodas and sugary juice.
While researchers have yet to explore the link between ADHD and dehydration, there are some studies that illustrate what happens to brain function after severe water loss. A small study in the Journal of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts looked at children who experienced dehydration due to diarrhea. They had slower reaction time, delayed visual-motor maturation, and more neurological problems compared to children who are well-hydrated.
Drinking more water is no magic bullet against ADHD, but there’s certainly no harm in making sure that your child stays well-hydrated each day – especially if he or she leads an active lifestyle. The average child is awake 16 hours each day, and spends 8 hours of this at school or doing extracurricular activities. During the “working” part of the day, make sure your child drinks 4-6 8-ounce glasses – 1 at breakfast, 1 or 2 at lunch, and 1 during afternoon snack. This will help optimize his or her brain function.
