Have ADHD? These 9 Supplements Can Help You Focus & Concentrate Better

“There is increasing grounds to support nan usage of supplements successful individuals pinch ADHD,” explains naturopath and nutritionist Katherine Maslen, N.D. She recommends addressing nan symptoms of ADHD that effect a patient’s intelligence health, cognition, and slumber pinch herbal medicine and nutrition support for nan tense system, neurotransmitter function, and sleep/wake rhythm (such arsenic omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium).

Board-certified integrative neurologist Romie Mushtaq, M.D. adds that while supplements tin thief pinch attraction and wide encephalon health, they aren’t meant to switch medicine medication (e.g., Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse). That said, supplementation tin beryllium a beneficial facet of a holistic attraction plan. “In summation to a patient diet, high-quality supplements tin thief supply your encephalon pinch nan nutrients it needs to support neurotransmitters progressive successful attraction and attention,” she says. 

Of each nan supplement ingredients connected this list, omega-3 fatty acids person nan astir compelling grounds supporting their efficacy for protecting and supporting encephalon usability successful individuals pinch ADHD. 

“Fish lipid is 1 of my go-to supplements erstwhile it comes to helping neurodiverse patients,” Maslen previously wrote for mindbodygreen. “It's virtually nutrient for your brain, truthful it's nary astonishment that investigation backs up its usage successful ADHD. We cognize that adults and children diagnosed pinch ADHD thin to beryllium low successful omega-3 fatty acids1 and that supplementation improves objective symptoms of ADHD2 successful some children and adolescents.”

Mushtaq explains that basal fatty acids (i.e., omega-3s and omega-6s), aka EFAs, besides play an important domiciled successful encephalon usability and structure. “Omega-3s are particularly important for protecting encephalon insubstantial and aiding connection betwixt encephalon cells. A 2017 Dietary Lipids successful Health and Disease review investigated nan use of omega-3 and omega-6 successful treating ADHD successful children and young adults; EFA supplements showed improvements successful attention, ocular learning, short-term memory, hyperactivity, and impulsivity,” she says.

Consider a premium food lipid supplement that delivers 1.5 to 2 grams (or 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams) of EPA positive DHA for optimal encephalon wellness benefits.

RELATED READ: The 15 Best Omega-3 Supplements Of 2023, According To A Nutrition Scientist

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Vitamin D is captious for a number of cognitive functions that effect ADHD—namely, serotonin production3 and dopamine regulation4. Additionally, grounds suggests a nexus betwixt vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and ADHD exists, particularly successful children and adolescents. 

In a 2018 meta-analysis from Advances successful Nutrition, children and adolescents pinch ADHD were recovered to have little vitamin D levels5 than nan wide population. What’s more, a 2018 Annals of Pharmacology objective proceedings recovered that vitamin D supplementation helped improve cognitive function6 successful children pinch ADHD and VDD.

Given nan prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among U.S. adults (29% are deficient7 and different 41% are insufficient) and nan grounds suggesting expanding vitamin D intake tin heighten cognitive functions successful ADHD patients, some Meslan and Mushtaq urge that individuals pinch ADHD get their serum 25(OH)D levels checked and return a value regular D supplement to optimize their vitamin D status.

To execute truly optimal vitamin D levels [i.e., 25(OH)D levels of 50 ng/ml aliases above], look for a high-quality vitamin D supplement that delivers 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (not D2).

RELATED READ: The 7 Best Vitamin D Supplements For Immunity, Bone Health & More In 2023*

B vitamins play captious roles successful cognitive function, temper regulation, accent management, and thief synthesize galore neurotransmitters—including dopamine and norepinephrine. So, it shouldn’t travel arsenic a astonishment that B vitamin insufficiencies are prevalent successful nan ADHD population. 

Case successful point: Individuals pinch ADHD were recovered to person lower concentrations8 of riboflavin (B2), vitamin B6, and folate (B9) successful a 2016 BJPsych Open study. A nexus betwixt MTHFR cistron polymorphisms and a number of psychological disorders (including ADHD) has besides been recovered successful caller studies, according to a 2022 9PLOS One9 meta-analysis9. Seeing arsenic individuals pinch MTHFR cistron variations aren’t capable to person methylation-critical B vitamins arsenic efficiently, Mushtaq says it’s “important to support methylation pinch manner changes and supplements.”

These bioactive B vitamins include:

• B2: riboflavin-5-phosphate
• B6: pyridoxal-5-phosphate
• B9: (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acerb (the progressive shape of folate)
• B12: methylcobalamin

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A 2021 meta-analysis from Scientific Reports recovered that patients pinch ADHD are much apt to person little circulating levels of zinc and whitethorn beryllium more prone to zinc deficiency10 than individuals without ADHD. This basal mineral is captious for neurotransmitter accumulation and wide gut health, and researchers hypothesize that these mechanisms whitethorn lead group pinch ADHD to beryllium affected by inadequate levels.

Zinc levels should beryllium considered erstwhile processing a holistic ADHD curen plan. 

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As a stimulant, caffeine influences nan brain’s dopamine strategy for illustration ADHD stimulant medications do (though, successful somewhat different ways). 

"Stimulant medications for ADHD activity to summation nan magnitude of nan neurotransmitter dopamine successful nan encephalon by slowing down its reabsorption, frankincense promoting accrued focus," Uma Naidoo, M.D., a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist and writer of This Is Your Brain On Food antecedently told mindbodygreen.

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8.

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)

ADHD is simply a analyzable neurological upset that’s impacted by nutritional choices and manner choices. As such, galore individuals pinch ADHD activity retired replacement curen options to usage alternatively of aliases successful conjunction pinch much accepted ADHD curen options (i.e., stimulant medicine and cognitive behaviour therapy). 

Although supplements aren’t a nonstop replacement for ADHD medications, location are galore vitamins, minerals, bioactives, and botanicals that person clinically demonstrated efficacy successful reducing ADHD symptoms and supporting attraction and concentration. If you’d for illustration to effort 1 aliases much of nan ingredients connected this list, beryllium judge to talk to your wellness attraction supplier to travel up pinch a holistic curen plan.