The UltraMind Solution by Mark Hyman Read Free Book Online Page A

to other children of his age; however, he nutritionally and/or genetically could not eliminate the metals from his body and stored them in his tissues.
     
    Mercury has been associated with myriad gastrointestinal as well as autoimmune and cognitive problems. 15 Children born between 1989 and 2001 were all exposed to mercury in the form of thimerosal in the multitude of vaccines they were given at a very early age (this mercury preservative was removed from the vaccines in 2001). As you will learn, other sources of mercury include coal-burning industrial plants, many large predatory ocean fish, river fish, and even “silver” dental fillings.

    Lead toxicity has been associated with cognitive and behavioral problems in children. 16 In a recent groundbreaking study, lead toxicity and environmental toxins were clearly linked to ADHD. 17 By living in a polluted world, playing with toys made in China and coated with lead paint, and crawling around on the floor where shoes drag in the lead pollution from the outside, Clayton was exposed to the dangers of the industrial revolution.
     
    He may also have suffered from other environmental toxins like mold toxins from the black mold in his house and food additives we could not measure.

    Clearly, Clayton’s problem was not a Ritalin deficiency or bad parenting! The cause of all these problems lay in the dietary and environmental pollutants that throw the seven underlying systems in our body out of balance.

The Simplicity of Treatment

    It is not any
one
thing that caused Clayton’s ADHD, abnormal handwriting, hives, asthma, or stomachaches. It was the total load of all the stresses on his system interacting with his unique genetic susceptibilities, which thus led to his abnormal brain function and health problems.
     
    Clayton’s treatment was disarmingly simple.

    By deliberately and carefully working to find the cause or
source of the irritation to his system
(nutritional deficiencies, toxic foods, food allergies, gluten, environmental toxins, food additives, yeast overgrowth) and identifying
the missing ingredients
needed to restore normal physiological function (a multivitamin, omega-3 fats, vitamin B 6 , zinc, magnesium, vitamin D,healthy gut bacteria, and 5-hydroxytryptophan for sleep and anxiety), Clayton’s health and brain function could finally start to normalize.
     
    I recommended a whole-foods diet free of additives, sugar, trans fats, processed foods, and his particular allergic foods—gluten, dairy, citrus, peanuts, and yeast. This is the diet on which the UltraMind Solution is founded.

    Then we got rid of the low-grade yeast problem he developed after years of taking antibiotics (it showed up as anal itching) with an antifungal medication.
     
    Lead and mercury toxicity was addressed using DMSA, dimercaptosuccinic acid, an FDA-approved medication to remove lead from children. This part of the treatment was postponed until his gastrointestinal health was restored. This was important so Clayton could properly eliminate the metals as they were chelated (pulled out) of his tissues.

    My approach is simple: the first step is to
take out the bad stuff;
remove what’s irritating you. You need to find all the tacks under your feet to be pain free; removing only one tack will not make you 50 percent better. The second step is to
add the good stuff;
add the specific vitamins, nutrients, and other “ingredients” you need to thrive. These differ from person to person.
The Result of Clayton’s Treatment
    Clayton and his mother were diligent and determined to make changes. At his two-month follow-up visit, Clayton had discontinued all medications, including Ritalin, antihistamines (Zyrtec and Tagamet), bronchodilators, steroid inhaler, Tylenol (acetaminophen), and Advil (ibuprofen).

    His mood and behavior returned to that of a typical twelve-year-old. His attention improved, his disruptiveness at home and in school disappeared, and his irritability and anxiety vanished