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Originally published February 3 2004

FDA delays action on antidepressants in children; adolescent depression caused by nutritional deficiencies, not brain chemical imbalances

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

A glance at this article seems to indicate the FDA is finally taking action against the use of antidepressant drugs (like Prozac and Zoloft) in children. But in reality, this is just smoke and mirrors to obscure the FDA's stalling tactics designed to keep these highly-profitable drugs on the market for as long as possible. Even after the FDA has reviewed the clinical trials that clearly show an increased risk of suicides in children taking these SSRI drugs, the agency now wants a second opinion. This "secondary review" will take another six months, during which time these antidepressant drugs will continue to be widely prescribed to children.

It's a clear case of bad medicine, and it's made even worse by the reality that most of these mental and behavioral problems in children aren't due to "chemical imbalances in the brain" in the first place: they're caused by unhealthy dietary practices and the excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates (like sugary breakfast cereals) and processed, refined foods.

These kids don't need drugs, they need good nutrition. They need proper supplementation of whole food complexes and to avoid refined foods which are being increasingly linked to mental and behavioral disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder, mood swings, clinical depression and violent behavior.

Not everyone agrees with this position, of course, but new evidence is showing dramatic changes in the moods and behaviors of children who are fed a low-carbohydrate diet and denied access to sugary foods, drinks (soft drinks) and snacks. If we would feed our children right in the first place, we wouldn't need antidepressant drugs, and these kids wouldn't walk into their schools and start killing each other. These kids need nutrition, not drugs.



Federal regulators said for the first time yesterday that clinical trials of popular antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft show a greater risk of suicide among children taking the drugs compared with those taking dummy pills. Although only one of these drugs has been approved for the treatment of children with depression, doctors are prescribing them to hundreds of thousands of American children every year. Regulators acknowledged the demands of the grieving families but said a mistake in either direction in issuing new guidelines could have terrible consequences: Most doctors believe the drugs, collectively known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, save the lives of many depressed children; top researchers have warned of dire consequences if their use in children is banned.


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