Anger issues - liver?

[marniewon]

I have a 10 yo son who has major anger issues. He has had these issues for most of his life. He loves fruits and veggies, but also sugar. Could this be a liver issue? Or maybe a food allergy? He is the sweetest boy when all is going well, but turns mean when things aren't going his way - a real jekyll and hyde! I just want to help him get through this time so he can grow up to be a happy responsible man someday.

Any thoughts?

Marnie

[callisto]

Maybe you should keep a food diary of what is eaten and relative mood, then you can see if there is any link. Sugar metabolism is slightly different in everyone, but apparently sugar blues can cause anger issues.

[marniewon]

Thanks Callisto, I will try that. For a while there, any time he was acting up or being really wild, I would ask him what he ate before I got up. Most of the time it was something with sugar in it. But sometimes not. Of course, with someone who is used to having a lot of sugar, I guess the withdrawals could produce the same kind of behavior.

Marnie

[shelley]

How great that you're analyzing his diet!

Sugar will indeed spike adrenaline and metabolism and lead to over-active behavior. It won't happen ALL the time, especially on a stomach full of OTHER things that slow down the effect.

There are certain things that will mess with progesterone and lead to anger issues, such as a lack of potassium in ratio to zinc, lack of Vitamin C...

A lack of calcium will cause irritability.

And of course a clogged liver will, but in one so young ... if he doesn't have any other liver type symptoms then I would doubt that that's the case here.

A child's nervous system is still developing, and so if their "dampening" nerves are still far apart, the signals to NOT move or NOT get angry don't come as fast to them as the signal TO move, TO feel. The OFF isn't as strong as the ON. That's why speed like Ritilin actually slows them down. You may want to consult with a doctor and see if this is the case with him. Good nutrition and lack of over-stimulation (video games) will help him reduce the gap.

Hope that helps!

[marniewon]

Thanks Shelley! I will continue to analyze his diet and see what affects him in what ways.

I have not taken him to a doctor regarding this because I feel very strongly that medicines such as ritalin are prescribed way too often usually without proper testing to see if it is truly needed, and I don't like to give my kids anything that I wouldn't personally take (which is not much, I don't take anything prescription without really considering if the benefits would outweigh the consequences).

The main reason that I thought it might be liver is because I heard of the anger issues involved with the liver, but also that he has a lot of moles on him, and had read somewhere that moles develop because of a clogged liver. Of course, my other son has a lot of moles also, and he's not nearly as agitated/high strung as this one is.

Can you get enough calcium drinking processed milk? I don't know why I'm thinking this way, but I think I remember reading that processed milk kills all the good stuff in it, including calcium. But I don't know where I heard that, so maybe I'm remembering incorrectly. He does get enough calcium from milk, if one does indeed get the amount of calcium that they say from processed milk. Hopefully next week when I get my tax refund, I'm going to buy a cow share and try raw milk. I'm hoping that it will help my whole family (especially me!). I'm addicted to milk again, and I can tell after drinking milk for a while I feel worse than I did before.

Anyway, he's really good at trying new things, and I'm trying to wean him of off sugar, so I will continue to analyze his diet and see what needs to go and what needs to be added.

Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Marnie

[shelley]

I agree, they are prescribed way too often for the wrong reasons, sigh. Best to do diet first.

A lot of moles - that's interesting. That is typical of Pitta body types, which is the type that gets angered easily! And their livers tend to be very sensitive to hot spices, and bodies to heat. So keep him cool, physically and spice-wise. Friendly spices for mole people are peppermint, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, turmeric, nutmeg, salts, sometimes cumin. Slow liver cleansing is good, including citrus juices.

Everyone has to find out for themselves whether they can have cold pasteurized milk. I find that I tolerate it better (all my sources of raw have disappeared sigh) if I cook it again with spices such as ginger and cardamom pods. That way no mucus or tongue coat forms. When I need cold milk I use kefir or rice dream.

I do think that the rise in autoimmune diseases and asthma in children is the awful combination of pasteurized foods, processed fake foods, smog and vaccine cocktails.