OPC GoldBlend® - a Natural Alternative

Though many experts do not agree on the cause of the condition, the mainstay of conventional treatment of ADD/ADHD is medication; usually stimulant medication such as Ritalin (methylphenidate), Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Desoxyn (methamphetamine) or Cylert (pemoline). Short-term learning benefits have been achieved with these medications, but no lasting improvement has been shown.

Overall, long-term adjustment, as measured by academic achievement, antisocial behavior and arrest rate was unaffected by medication. Several short-term effects could be the "Ritalin rebound" - loss of appetite resulting in weight loss, insomnia, headaches, stomachaches, drowsiness, potential liver damage, facial tics and a "sense of sadness."

Facts about Ritalin:

Stimulant drugs can endanger the cardiovascular system and commonly produce many adverse mental effects, including depression.

It is important to note that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and all other drug enforcement agencies worldwide, classify methylphenidate (the generic name for Ritalin) and amphetamine (Dexedrine and Adderall) in the same Schedule II category as methamphetamine, cocaine, and the most potent opiates and barbiturates. Schedule II includes only those drugs with the very highest potential for addiction and abuse.

While no single cause has yet been identified for ADHD, researchers around the world have come a long way in identifying environmental and biochemical links to the disorder, and in tracking just how it affects the brain's metabolism and function. Although leading investigators currently differ on the best treatment for ADHD, all agree that a multimodal approach--one that incorporates dietary measures, counseling, special academic strategies and possibly medication--is best.

In recent years, many in the scientific community have devoted their research to documenting the relationship between nutrients and brain cell function. Decades of studies have established over and over again that Masquelier's¨ OPC (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins) improves circulation, including microcirculation in the brain. A preliminary study by Marion Sigurdson, Ph.D., a psychologist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who specializes in treating ADD/ADHD, has found striking benefits from Masquelier's OPC.

ADD/ADHD and OPC GoldBlend®

OPC GoldBlend® has not been formally studied in Europe for ADD as it is not a condition that is considered as prevalent. However, in the United States, there has been growing interest in use of OPC GoldBlend ever since publication of Jean Carper's book, Miracle Cures, in 1997. Because of the inherent dangers in treating ADD with amphetamines, many have sought safer and more natural means to help with this condition. It is clear that successful treatment of ADD/ADHD should include a variety of measures including dietary changes (such as reduction of refined sugars and highly processed foods), behavioral changes (such as frequent breaks during study) and other lifestyle adjustments. Dietary supplementation programs that include Primary Source GoldBlend can bring about remarkable improvements in study habits and behavior for adults and children alike.

Primary Source OPC GoldBlend® was not originally used for ADD/ADHD. However, in recent years its use has become fairly popular among people suffering from a lack of concentration and attention. It is said to have begun quite accidentally when people with these symptoms took OPC GoldBlend for another purpose, such as allergies, and noticed an improvement in concentration and mental focus, classic symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Scientifically, how could this possibly be true? How could mundane chemicals extracted from vegetal sources have a profound influence on the brain?

According to Marcia Zimmerman, a California consultant who specializes in research on Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPC), there is some underpinning in the scientific literature, suggesting possible mechanisms of action. A fascinating way that OPC might affect brain cells, as shown by studies in cell cultures, she says, is by regulating enzymes that help control two crucial neurotransmitters -- dopamine and norepinephrine, chemicals that carry messages among brain cells and are involved in 'excitatory' responses. OPC also helps deliver nutrients to the brain, such as zinc, manganese, selenium and copper, which are helpful in ADHD according to recent research. Additionally, OPC GoldBlend®'s remarkable antioxidant activity may help stabilize brain cells and improve their functioning by neutralizing damage from free radicals.

A preliminary study by Marion Sigurdson, Ph.D., a psychologist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who specializes in treating attention deficit disorder, has found striking benefits from OPC GoldBlend®. Dr. Sigurdson found that OPC GoldBlend® worked just as well as the commonly prescribed stimulant medications, including Ritalin, on thirty children and adults diagnosed with ADD. The subjects were given a battery of computerized and behavior tests to judge their attention, concentration, and other important factors in ADD under various circumstances: when they were either on or off their usual stimulant medications, or on OPC GoldBlend® alone. When they were off their medications, their ADD deteriorated. On their medications, they were much improved. But when they took daily doses of OPC, their scores and behavior were just as improved as when they took stimulant drugs. In other words, the OPC compound equaled the drugs in most subjects. Many of the subjects also had other positive effects.

A nontoxic, water soluble nutrient, OPC holds promise as an alternative to Ritalin. Many children with ADD have found this substance effective to decrease their symptoms by normalizing brain function. It seems to improve memory by improving circulation to the brain.

Free radicals reprogram DNA and are implicated in more than sixty diseases. It has been thought to help in inflammation of the joints and other tissues, as well as improve functioning of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems.

As a dietary supplement, university studies demonstrated that OPC can maintain healthy immune system function by restoring cytokine imbalances and increasing white blood cell activity. Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was increased and as a free radical scavenger, OPC lowered histamine levels, thereby protecting against vascular permeability, which is important in protecting and modulating the immune system.

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