ADHD Test - Urinary Peptides

Ask any doctor, and he will tell you that medication is the best and only way to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Western medicine believes that ADHD is a genetic and chemical issue that can only be corrected by stimulant medication and some behavioral therapy. While there is indeed a genetic and chemical aspect to the disorder, ADHD is also caused by other environmental triggers and bodily imbalances.

One of these environmental triggers is the food intolerances that infiltrate the immune system, the digestive system, the nervous system, and the brain. Allergologists have discovered that a large number of children with ADHD also suffer from an intolerance to gluten and casein, complex proteins found in wheat and dairy products, respectively. Wheat and milk are ingredients of many foods we normally eat, but most people have trouble digesting gluten and casein. When gluten and casein are partially digested, they form harmful peptides that induce morphine-like effects on the body: you feel drowsy and sedated, and concentrating on tasks and maintaining your attention require far more effort. In severe cases, peptides from gluten and casein alter speech, sensory integration, and behavior.

Treating ADHD should involve eliminating the source of the intolerance, but before we can even begin to talk about treatment, we need to uncover the causes. Although Western medicine has certain tests and technologies that detect food intolerances, they are unable to objectively determine the particular substance causing the intolerance. To see if intolerance to gluten and casein is aggravating your child's ADHD, you will need a specialized test called "urinary peptides," which is offered only by chiropractors and alternate health care practitioners.

The urinary peptides test is a non-invasive method of measuring the peptide content in your child's urine sample. A healthy gastrointestinal tract may have a few peptides present, which are harmlessly eliminated through urine. However, a diet high in dairy and carbohydrates combined with a problematic digestive system will result in an excess number of peptides in the urine. In fact, not all the peptides are excreted efficiently; some make their way to the bloodstream and the brain, where they bind with the nervous system's opioid receptors and produce their morphine-like effects.

The urinary peptides test requires a 10 ml sample of your child's urine. Your child does not need to fast before the test; in fact, it would help if your child maintains his or her eating habits. Through methods like spectrometry, HPLC, and RA methods, a lab technician can identify the presence and levels of peptides in your child's urine. The peptide content in the urine is also reflective of the peptide content of the blood, because the elements found in urine are waste elements of the blood. If the test reveals that your child has an excess amount of peptides in his or her urine, your child will have to follow a gluten-free, casein-free diet as part of the treatment protocol.

To obtainthe urinary peptides test, visit http://www.genovadiagnostics.com and look for a test called "Urinary Polypeptides with IAG." Remember, the urinary peptides test is just one part of a comprehensive testing protocol. Experts recommend that your child be tested for food allergies, because children with gluten and casein intolerance are more likely to be intolerant to other substances.