Excessive Hunger in Child

Dear Dr. Meletis, Our 10-year-old daughter has ADHD. Many years ago, we started giving her Melatonin to help her sleep. It made a world of difference with sleep and concentration. We give her supplements and good food and Digestive Enzymes. She does have digestion problems, gas, and tummy aches with some foods. The problem is she is always hungry. She is not overweight; she is actually taller than most for her age. A long time ago I used to take GTF and I am sure it helped the cravings and my appetite, and I want to give it to our daughter, but we can not get it anymore, only chromium. I remember that GTF was a special form of chromium. So could using this other form of chromium be the problem, or is it still her digestion and not processing the chromium correctly and or just burning it up? She steals food and raids the pantry leaving messes and getting into the pure sugar and baking things. We cannot have treats in the house because of this. She will find them no matter how well they are hidden, not sure how she does it. I think she smells it! Mr. W.

Dear Mr. W., Sometimes children and even adults will seek out foods because one or more nutrients may be present at insufficient levels within the body. The two most common insufficiencies in children, and even more so in children with ADHD, are Zinc and essential fatty acids. In my clinical practice, I emphasize EFAs from fish. Two of my favorite EFA supplements are Ethyl EPA and Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA. The key is to get a good amount of DHA, along with the EPA. The Zinc is essential for growth, and when children rapidly grow, their need for Zinc increases as is often reflected in white dots or lines on the finger nails. When Zinc levels drop sufficiently and in the presences of dramatically insufficient essential fatty acids, fine little raised bumps can appear on the skin, including the back of the upper arms. Relative to your question on Chromium, in our clinical practice we call it “will power in a bottle” as it seems to notably decrease carb cravings. Chromium does come in many forms, including a product marketed as glucose tolerance factor. In the presence of sufficient B vitamins, the body will use Chromium more efficiently and this will also improve carbohydrate metabolism. The information shared is educational in nature and is not intended as either diagnosis or treatment. Working closely with ones personal physician is always important. Sincerely, Chris D. Meletis, ND