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The Origins of Human Attention

Natural Treatments that improve Focus

Written by: Dr. Sonya Doherty, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

A man named Richard Deth is changing how we understand human attention. As a neuropharmacologist, Dr. Deth's research looks at antioxidants and a biochemical pathway that we all have: methylation.

To improve attention, it is important to understand that a decreased level of antioxidants increase cell damage. Children with autism, PDD and ADD/HD have low levels of antioxidants and higher rates of "oxidative stress" or "free radicals". Free radicals and oxidative stress are the reason cells die or have lower level of function.

There is overwhelming evidence that antioxidants help to improve attention. One of the body's most important antioxidants is called glutathione. Research has found that children with autism have up to 80% depleted glutathione. This crucial antioxidant connects to the other part of Dr. Deth's research which is the methylation cycle that governs development. Methylation and glutathione are intertwined in a critical metabolic intersection, a fork in the road. This is where cells have to decide to either make more glutathione, or support methylation. Antioxidants help both of these paths resulting in big changes.

Making glutathione requires the protein building block called cysteine. Some of our most popular foods block our ability to use cysteine. These foods are gluten and dairy. Thousands of Canadian parents have seen dramatic improvements when they removed these foods from their child's diet. Dr. Deth believes removing gluten and dairy leads to an increase in glutathione resulting in improvement focus and overall development.