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Continued Use of ADHD Drugs May Reduce Criminal Behavior, Study Says

Arrests were lower when people with disorder took their medication, Swedish research found

November 21, 2012 RSS Feed  Print

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- For teens and adults who don't grow out of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, staying on ADHD medications may help them stay out of trouble.

Males with ADHD who stayed on medications for the disorder reduced their risk of criminal behavior by 32 percent, while women who did so reduced their rates of criminal behavior by 42 percent, according to a large Swedish study.

"It seems as though ADHD medications decrease the risk for criminality while under treatment," said the study's lead author, Paul Lichtenstein, professor of genetic epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm.

Results of the study are published in the Nov. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park, said past research has found that adults with ADHD have a "host of increased risks later in life, like driving accidents, losing jobs, divorce and arrests." Adesman said those at greatest risk of criminal behavior are those with hyperactivity.

Adesman added that it's important for parents to know that not all children with ADHD will engage in criminal behavior, and that some children will outgrow ADHD. Still, "collectively, people with ADHD are at risk for a range of poor outcomes," he said.

For the current study, the researchers gathered information on more than 25,000 people living in Sweden with a diagnosis of ADHD. They also collected information on what types of medications were given as treatment, and any criminal convictions that occurred between 2006 and 2009.

Researchers then compared non-medication periods to medication periods and the rates of criminal behavior for each person.

The risk of criminal activity dropped by more than a third for men and women combined during medication periods, according to the study.

Lichtenstein said the researchers didn't study whether medications were more effective in reducing criminal behavior for a particular age group. They also didn't look at whether one type of medication was better at decreasing the risk of criminal activity, but he said those that influence the core symptoms of ADHD -- such as impulsivity, restlessness and irritability -- are likely to be better at reducing criminal behavior.

Lichtenstein said ADHD medications should be seriously considered for adolescents and young adults with ADHD who are at risk for criminal behavior.

"All medications have potential adverse side effects, and the clinician should weigh risks and benefits for each patient," he added. "Now, they should include the potential decreased risk of criminality in that evaluation."

For his part, Adesman said that based on the findings of this study, it looks as though treatment with ADHD medication can make a difference in the risk of criminal behavior. But, he said, it's important to realize that the population in this study isn't the same as the population in the United States, so the findings might be different if the study were done here.

Adesman said it is also important not to "presume that children diagnosed with ADHD today have the same risks of criminality as people diagnosed 20 years ago, given the greater awareness, education resources and support that is available today."

However, he added, "I suspect that symptomatic people probably do better with medications."

Although the study found an association between staying on ADHD medication and reduced criminal behavior, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

Learn more about the medications used to treat ADHD from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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I hate to say “forbidden” as it makes it seem so dramatic; but the reality is, the current state of our health is a dramatic crisis for many people. We are suffering rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, imbalanced hormones, adrenal fatigue, food sensitivities, ADD, ADHD and various immune compromises and more, at alarming rates.

And the research is everywhere pointing to our food supply. From Harvard University to private research firms, there are plenty of studies showing how our food supplies have been modified/manipulated, and what that’s doing to research animals, and therefore assumed to be doing to us as well.

So remember, this is about a whole lifestyle change. About turning from refined and processed foods to a life full of WHOLE, UNPROCESSED FOODS.  Our goal here is to help you reconfigure your plates so the majority of each meal is created from an abundance of raw and cooked vegetables, protein, fruits, nuts and seeds.

The following categories of food are forbidden on the MyPaleo diet,  but remember, you’re encouraged to save up your “good karma points” from the days you follow the MyPaleo diet, and use them on a splurge day. Just knowing you have 1 splurge day a week helps many people overcome the weaker moments when our minds trick us into thinking we want something sweet or generally anything on the forbidden list.  And to be honest, the better you start to feel, the less likely you will be to cash in on those good karma points, but be sure to keep them in a reserve as you never know when you’ll get an invitation to a Mexican themed party full of corn chips and margaritas!

Refined Sugars
There is a long list of ingredients which are essentially “sugar” which we include below. You may choose to allow small amounts of honey or pure maple syrup – but this would have been a rare treat.

Here is a list of some of the possible code words for “sugar” which may appear on a label. Hint: the words “syrup”, “sweetener”, and anything ending in “ose” can usually be assumed to be “sugar”. If the label says “no added sugars”, it should not contain any of the following, although the food could contain naturally-occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk).

Agave Nectar
Barley Malt Syrup
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum or sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose
Grains
Yes, there were wild grains, and a few roasted kernels have been found in ancient fires. But really – how much wild grain could have been collected at a time? Answer: not much.

Sorry folks – Corn is a grain.

Starchy Tubers
This is an area where many experts disagree, but in general, we suggest avoiding:

Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Yams
Cassava
Manioc
Beets – limited quantities
Legumes (Beans, Peas, Peanuts)
These are usually omitted on the premise that most of them can’t be eaten without cooking, and that legumes have a high content of lectins and other antinutrients. Research into lectins is in its infancy and not a lot is known about this with any certainty, but if you are interested, Loren Cordain’s 2012 book, >The Paleo Answer: 7 Days to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Stay Young has a great section about what is known at the present time.

Quick note – we don’t have as much of an issue with legumes as many other Paleo diets do, so feel free to enjoy your green beans, but keep them in moderation. As for peas, they don’t offer much nutritional value, and quickly convert to sugar once eaten, so they are generally recommended as something to avoid, and rather, store up those good karma points for a pea salad splurge

Dairy Products
Here’s what we know: early people did not eat dairy products before animals were domesticated. It has been pointed out that there has been adaptation to dairy products in some genetic lines, but most experts exclude eating dairy including milk, butter, cream, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, etc. Others say that butter (and to a lesser extent cream) don’t have much lactose or casein and are probably OK on occasion. All would agree that if you are going to eat dairy, make sure the animals are grass-fed, or better yet, seek out raw forms whenever possible.

Some Meats
Most processed meats (made with nitrites and additives) are not allowed, including hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and lunch meats, although sometimes more healthy forms of these can be found. If you’re of the lucky group who can find naturally prepared lunch meats by your local grocer, which are free of nitrites, additives and preservatives, then by all means – enjoy. Note there is a difference between processed (e.g. hot dogs) and simply “cured” (e.g. bacon), and it’s important to know the source, and their preparation methods.

Oils
Definitely avoid the following:

Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Peanut oil
Soybean oil (same as soy oil)
Rice bran oil
Wheat germ oil
This includes products, such as mayonnaise, which include these oils.

Trans fats in packaged foods
Canola oil – genetically modified and turns rancid quickly
Cottonseed oil – genetically modified, pesticide-laden, hydrogenated
Soy
There are too many reasons to mention why soy is terrible for us, so please click here for the full review of soy and its harmful effects. And if you’re a parent feeding soy to your babies and/or children, please PLEASE, read this!

Now that you have a cheat sheet of foods to avoid, we will be following up with foods to cherish next! The key here is to focus NOT on what you CAN’T have, but rather, on what you CAN have. That list is lengthy, and full of delicious options. The key is managing your time; this is not a “convenience” food diet. This is a way of life that requires you to plan ahead as much as possible to have items on hand to take with you while out of the home, and to have plenty of delicious meals ready for you.