Safe and Cheap ADHD Vitamins

The least expensive, safest and best way to buy ADHD vitamins is to get them through Amazon.com.  The reason for this is that they have an enormous number of manufacturers trying to get your business and the deals there are better than deals at any health food store or online vitamin outlet.

By far the cheapest way to get a children's multivitamin such as Flinstone complete with Zinc or the omega-3 fatty acids and phosphatidylserine, which have both been shown to be helpful for the treatment of ADHD, is to buy them in the form of Neptune Krill Oil from Amazon.

It is not that I am a walking advertisement for Amazon but the truth is that if you go to a health food store on an online site, you will probably end up paying lots more for something that may not even be as good.

In the case of  phosphatidylserine, for example, you want a vitamin source that is proven to be as bio-available as possible because if you ingest it and it sits in your gut then it is money wasted.  It has to cross the blood brain barrier to do any good and the phosphatidylserine in Neptune Krill oil does that more effectively than any other form of phosphatidylserine. Reputable manufactures who are certified by a national entity are your best bet, avoid non USP certified ADHD vitamins as they may be a huge waste of money.

Since all ADHD vitamins should come form a reputable manufacturer, you will need to find  a company on Amazon from the list below that makes the vitamins in the U.S., Europe, or Canada as the regulations there are standardized and products from these locations are considered to be safe.   You want the companies to a the USP verified seal because those products have met the standards of safety.

The list below contains the names of USP verified companies. The trick is to find the ADHD vitamins that you wish to take from a USP verified site and then to compare pricing.  As an example,  I was able to find a Schiff Nutrition NKO Product at Amazon with 90, 300mg softgels for $15.00 plus shipping.  The recommended dose is 1 per day so that is a price of $5.00 per month which your really can't beat.  The link to the Schiff product is at the top of the page and is here as well..

USP Verified Program for Dietary Supplements

The manufacturers listed below have chosen to participate in USP's verification program for dietary supplements and submit selected products for verification. Brands submitted for verification are listed under the manufacturers' names.

Aland (Jiangsu) Nutraceutical Co. Ltd.

Inverness Medical Innovations
Selected store and private-label brand supplements

Leiner Health Products
Your Life® brand supplements
Selected store and private-label brand supplements

Pharmavite LLC
Nature Made® brand supplements
Nature's Resource® brand herbal supplements
Selected store and private-label brand supplements

Robinson Pharma Inc.

Schiff Nutrition
Schiff® brand supplements
Selected store and private-label brand supplements

Perrigo Company of South Carolina
Selected private–label brand supplements

Natural Factors Nutritional Products
Selected private-label brand supplements

NBTY Inc.
Kirkland Signature® brand supplements

Uni-caps, LLC
Selected private-label brand supplements

ADHD Vitamins for Sleep and Melatonin

Melatonin is not one of the vitamins for ADHD that I have been posting about.  It is not a vitamin at all but rather a hormone that is an important brain anti-oxidant.  Melatonin is also important as it also contributes significantly to other brain signaling processes.

A new study our of Sweden has found a genetic link between melatonin deficiencies and ADHD symptoms.  The researchers of this study which was published in the April edition of the Journal of Pineal Research found that people with ADHD have a "melatonin signaling deficiency" and that this genetic difference likely accounts for the sleep problems seen in adults and children with ADHD.

People diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to have sleep problems than people without a diagnosis of ADHD.  Magnesium is recommended for people with ADHD.  Magnesium is known to be sedating and this is one of the ADHD vitamins that can help with ADHD sleep problems but the root of ADHD sleep problems may be melatonin related so supplemental melatonin may better address the underlying issues related to the sleep problems of ADHD.

The Swedish study looked at the genes that regulate Melatonin in over 300 individuals of which 100 had a diagnosis of ADHD. They found significant changes in the melatonin signaling pathways only in the ADHD patients and not in the controls. This is the first study that  confirms that ADHD sleep problems are not related to medication effects or hyperactivity symptoms but rather are the result of melatonin deficiencies.

Melatonin, according to the authors of this Swedish study, is a "powerful antioxidant and a synchronizer of many physiological processes". It is unknown how much of a role melatonin deficiencies play in the presence of  the inattention seen in ADHD Inattentive but it is clear from many other studies that inattention, loss of concentration and loss of focus  in people with and without ADHD Inattentive or the other types of ADHD can all be the result of sleep deprivation.

Melatonin supplements are not ADHD vitamins but they are one of the non-medication solutions available to people with ADHD.  Melatonin can be taken 1 hour prior to sleep and helps tremendously insomnia. This ADHD supplement may help ADHD by addressing some of the brain's neurotransmitter signaling and deficiency issues that cause not only sleep disturbances but that may also cause some of the other symptoms of ADHD.

Genetic variations of the melatonin pathway in patients with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorders.  
Chaste P, Clement N, Botros HG, Guillaume JL, Konyukh M, Pagan C, Scheid I, Nygren G, Anckarsäter H, Rastam M, Ståhlberg O, Gillberg IC, Melke J, Delorme R, Leblond C, Toro R, Huguet G, Fauchereau F, Durand C, Boudarene L, Serrano E, Lemière N, Launay JM, Leboyer M, Jockers R, Gillberg C, Bourgeron T.
Journal of Pineal Research. 2011 Apr 27.

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ADHD Vitamins in Dark Chocolate

The Flavanols in Dark Chocolate Improve ADHD Symptoms

Since we spoke of the benefits of coffee for the treatment of ADHD symptoms, I thought this might be a good time to mention what we know of the benefits of dark chocolate for treating ADHD.

ADHD and ADHD  Inattentive symptoms may be improved by cocoa flavanols and dark chocolate. A new study published in the Journal Physiology and Behavior has found that visual working memory and reaction time can be improved by a one time consumption of 720 mg of cocoa flavanols. These beneficial working memory effects, that may improve ADHD Inattentive symptoms, were seen 1 week after the cocoa consumption.

ADHD symptoms are somewhat related to our executive functioning and  to working memory and reaction time deficits.  This recent study point to the ability of dark chocolate to improve these deficits.  The young adults in this study consumed one dose of dark chocolate containing 720 mg of cocoa flavonols. The controls consumed an equivalent amount of white chocolate and then both test subjects and controls were tested on a visual working memory and reaction time tasks a week later.  These visual working memory tasks and reaction time tasks are frequently performed poorly by people with ADHD Symptoms.

The researchers found that, “In terms of cognitive performance, CF (cocoa flavanols) improved spatial memory and performance on some aspects of the choice reaction time task. As well as extending the range of cognitive tasks that are known to be influenced by CF consumption."

The Mars Company, the same folks that bring us M&Ms, Snickers bars and Dove bars have been studying chocolate. The Mars company laboratory has published many studies on the benefits of consuming dark chocolate. According to the Mars website, the benefits of cocoa flavonols are not just related to cocoa's antioxidant effect, Mars reports that, “the consumption of cocoa flavanols can have important beneficial effects on the function of the body’s network of blood vessels... that are independent of general "antioxidant" effects that cocoa flavanols exhibit in a test tube, outside of the body. The body of research not only suggests that these cocoa flavanols may provide a dietary approach to maintaining cardiovascular function and health, but also points to new possibilities for cocoa flavanol-based interventions.

The amount of cocoa flavanols in chocolate depends on the percentage of cocoa and on the way the chocolate in processed. Dutch processed chocolate contains less flavanols than non-Dutch process. Dark chocolate contains way more flavanols than milk chocolate. Seventy percent cocoa, dark chocolate bars, contain more cocoa flavanols than 50% cocoa bars.

A one hundred gram bar of a 70% cocoa, dark chocolate bar will give you about 100 mg to 200 mg of cocoa flavanols. Most single size bars of chocolate, your standard size Dove bar that you can buy at the grocery store right next to the cashier, is about 33 grams. You would have to consume three of these to get about 150 mg of flavanols and you would have to eat 15 of them to get the amount of flavanols used to get the benefits seen in this recent Physiology and Behavior study.

As much as I love chocolate, consuming this much chocolate is out of the question. Mars, predictably, has solved this problem. Mars makes a product called Cirku that contains 320 mg of cocoa flavonols. They claim that they have a very special manner in which they make this drink so that it contains only the finest and most beneficial cocoa flavanols. The product is a powder that you add to water.

Some cardiologists are now recommending that their patients eat a 6 gram square of dark chocolate daily to protect their hearts. It is possible that consuming a little bit of chocolate every day may have the same effect on our ADHD symptoms and on our cognitive functioning and working memory as consuming 720 mg all at once. It is unclear if this daily consumption could be used as ADHD treatment and if it would be as beneficial as consuming 720 mg in one fell swoop because this has not been studied yet.

If you are going to consume dark chocolate to see if it helps ADHD symptoms, it probably should be at least 70 percent cocoa and it is probably not a bad idea to buy the fair trade chocolate. The studies on heart disease and chocolate have found that people who consumed an average of six grams of dark chocolate a day had about a 40% lower chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

ADHD  symptoms may be improved by consuming cocoa flavanol. Studies have shown that the best ADHD treatments improve working memory and reaction time deficits.  From this newly publish Physiology and Behavior study it would appear that the cocoa flavanols are helpful in this regard. Wouldn't it be sweet if chocolate was the best medicine for ADHD symptoms? 

You can go to Amazon through my site and anything you buy helps support this web effort.  It does not cost you a penny more.  The Amazon link is to the right.  Thanks for your support!!

Physiology and Behavior. 2011 Feb 12. [Epub ahead of print]
Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in an acute improvement in visual and cognitive functions.
Field DT, Williams CM, Butler LT

Self Regulation, Colicky Babies and ADHD

Self Regulation can affects cognitive functioning

If your baby has colic, sleeps poorly or is a poor feeder, he or she has double the chances of being diagnosed with ADHD as a school age child. These are the findings of a study out of Switzerland that looked at behavioral problems in children and their history of feeding problems, crying or sleep issues as babies.

When a baby is 'colicky' or sleeps and eats poorly, pediatricians categorize the baby as having regulatory problems. These babies have problems coping with all that is around them and they lack self comforting behaviors such as sucking on their hands or clinging to a blanket that help regulate the baby's breathing, heart rate, mood and sleep.

Some psychiatrists see ADHD as a self regulation problem as well. Children with ADHD have trouble regulating their arousal so they can be sluggish or slower in the case of kids with Inattentive ADD (ADHD-I) or they can be hyperactive in the case of kids with Combined type or Hyperactive/Impulsive type ADHD.

Kids with ADHD may also have emotional regulatory issues such as anxiety, depression, impulsiveness and oppositional behavior. These emotional deregulation issues are also seen by psychiatrist as part of the whole picture of ADHD. It is not too surprising then that the Swiss study found that these regulation problems are first seen when these kids are babies.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that handles self regulation. It is this part of the brain that controls the "executive functions" of our brains which include emotional control and self regulation. Executive functions are often quite undeveloped until age 12 and in the case of children and adults with ADHD they may remain undeveloped until much later in life and sadly, in some adults with ADD and ADHD, never fully develop.

Cognitive behavioral therapy may help some people struggling with ADHD develop their executive functioning. Books on ADHD Behavioral therapy sometimes can provide help in developing executive function but a thorough review of the literature reveals that executive benefits are only seen consistently from four interventions. These are, in order or effectiveness as follows:

• Stimulant Medication 
• Guanfacine or Atomoxetine (Intuniv and Strattera) 
• Sleep Problem resolution 
• Aerobic Exercise 
• Diet that include essential fatty acids 

Colicky babies can become colicky adults.  I was a colicky baby as were both my sons.  We all have or had some form of Attention Deficit Disorder.  It makes sense to me that these two issues of self regulation are related as was found in the recent study performed in Switzerland.

Self regulation starts in infancy and is disrupted in children with ADHD. These self regulation issues can continue into adulthood but certain interventions such as medication, sleep hygiene programs, exercise programs and a vitamin rich, essential fatty acid enriched diet can help improve the self regulation problems that result in poor attention, poor focus and delayed cognitive development. 


Pediatr Clin North Am. 2011 Jun;58(3):649-65. Epub 2011 Apr 1.
Cognitive, Behavioral, and Functional Consequences of Inadequate Sleep in Children and Adolescents.
Beebe DW.


J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2010 May-Jun;25(3):184-92.
The relationship between aerobic exercise and cognition: is movement medicinal?
Lojovich JM.


Acta Paediatr. 2011 Jan;100(1):47-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01946.x.
Attention among very low birth weight infants following early supplementation with docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid.
Westerberg AC, Schei R, Henriksen C, Smith L, Veierød MB, Drevon CA, Iversen PO.

Phosphatidylserine for ADHD

Phosphatidylserine (PS) may help ADHD. Recent studies are pointing to real benefits from this brain supplement for people with all sorts of cognitive or brain challenges but also for people with no ADHD or  ADD symptoms.  It seems that many new studies are showing that phosphatidylserine is amazingly helpful for maximizing our brain functioning.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is not one of the ADHD vitamins that I have spoken of before.  It is an ADHD supplement that is a brain lipid or fat that is essential for us to be able to process, attend to, and retain information. We know from previous studies that the essential fatty acid profile of people with ADHD is different from the brain lipid composition of people without ADD. Several studies have demonstrated cognitive benefits for people with Inattentive ADD when they take supplemental Omega-3 fatty acids but PS is a brain fat that is more important and different. 

PS is normally made in our brains but certain conditions such as stress, inflammation, vitamin deficiencies, aging, and other brain issues can diminish the amounts available  and this in turn can lead to a decrease in optimal brain functioning and perhaps to symptoms such as those seen in all types of ADHD.

A study just published in the Proceedings of the Seventh International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Journal reported that supplementation with 400 mg of phosphatidylserine daily improved cognitive functioning.  This study was performed on healthy athletes with no symptoms of cognitive impairments. The report concluded that this supplement induced improvement could benefit everyone even people without any symptoms of impaired cognition.

In the old days the only way to get additional PS into your system was to take a supplement that was made out of cow or lambs brains.  The practice of making PS out of cow brains was discontinued in the United States after the onset of Mad Cow disease.  You can now get phospholipid supplements in the form of PS supplements made out of Soy bean, fish livers, squid skin and you can get similar benefits from Krill oil.  Krill oil contains a phospholipid that is similar to PS called phosphatidylcholine (PC). 

According to one study, published in a 2007 Alternative Medicine Review, Krill Oil was very effective when compared to plain Omega-3 supplementation in improving cognition.  To my knowledge a study comparing Krill PC to Soy bean or marine derived PS has not been done but one study did point to the fact that the marine derived PS products were more effectively transported into the brain after supplementation then were the PS products derived from either cow brains or soy beans.

There is good research to support PS and PC supplementation for everyone not just people with ADHD.  The PS and PC supplements are thought to work by decreasing the cortisol response to physical stress, optimizing neurotransmitter functioning and decreasing inflammation in the brain.  It is thought that the best dose to maintain optimal brain function is 100-400mg mg per day.  Phosphatidylserine is considered to be extremely safe but special care should be taken if you are on any blood thinning medication as PS and PC may have blood thinning properties.

Krill oil has cogntive benefits because of the benefits derived both from the Omega-3 fatty acids and from the benefits of PS.  People with Inattentive ADHD as well as the other subtypes of ADHD would benefit from the use of this supplement and it deserves a high place in the category of ADHD Vitamins and supplements.

Coffee Vitamins for ADHD

ADHD Vitamins webpage must include coffee

Coffee Vitamins for ADHD

Ok so coffee is not a vitamin for ADHD but it does contain ADHD alleviating substances so before I go on to other ADHD vitamins I would like to sing the praises of the humble cup of Joe.  Let me begin by saying that there are, amazingly, scientific reports stating that there are fewer patients with ADHD symptoms in South America because both adults and children drink lots of coffee in this part of the world.

Coffee is truly an amazing substance that has been recently found to help prevent both Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer’s disease but its role in helping the symptoms of ADHD, including Inattentive ADD and Hyperactive/Impulsive ADHD are less well known.

Research studies show that caffeine helps with working memory as well as with maintaining focus. It is thought that caffeine blocks Adenosine receptors in your body and stimulates the production of adrenaline and dopamine. Common Inattentive ADHD medications work by stimulating the production of dopamine. A recent study from the Journal Brain Cognition published in September of this year found that caffeine improved alerting and executive control functioning in a dose-response manner. The best results were obtained using a dose of 400mg.

Coffee Helps ADHD just like ADHD vitamins do

The adrenaline and dopamine actions of caffeine have been well documented but the Adenosine blocking effects are less well studied. A recent review of studies on Adenosine and caffeine confirmed that caffeine (a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist) and selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonists can improve memory performance in rodents evaluated through different tasks. These studies confirm the positive roll that caffeine can play in the Inattentive ADHD treatment.

Caffeine is present in many drinks available today. A 5 oz cup of ground brewed coffee contains 85 mg of caffeine, instant coffee contains 60 mg, and Decaf coffee contains 3 mg. A 5 oz cup of black or green tea contains about 30 mg of caffeine. Cola’s have about 18 mg of caffeine per 6 oz serving, and a can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine. You can find a link with the different caffeine amounts in different drinks and food here: http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm

Caffeine is considered safe in doses as high as 400mg for adults and 250mg for children. I admit that it may be pushing it to include coffee on a web page dealing with ADHD vitamins but I could not help myself as the humble cup of Joe is an amazing natural treatment for ADHD.

ADHD Vitamins and Diet Recommendations

ADHD vitamins are best consumed in foods

ADHD vitamins are best consumed through dietary sources. This is true for both water soluble and fat soluble vitamins. It is true for amino acids such as L-carnitine that may help ADHD and for the essential fatty acids that help ADHD. A sound diet, that is as free of excess fats, sugars, and artificial ingredients is the best first step in assuring that the symptoms of any person with ADHD, whether they have Inattentive ADD or any other subtype, not be worsened because of nutritional deficiencies, immune reactions or food allergies.

ADHD diet recommendations are extremely important to the management of ADHD symptoms. Before you begin any ADHD vitamins or supplement, you should make certain that your diet is adequate and that you are aware that:

Healthy food have vitamins that help ADHD

1. Protein and Amino Acid Consumption is important for ADHD symptom control 
2. Adequate Vegetable Consumption play a role in managing ADHD 
3. Too much sugar can lead to a cascade of metabolic processes that affect ADHD symptoms 
4. Food Coloring and food Additives adversely affect some people with ADHD symptoms 
5. Elimination Diets can help ADHD Symptoms 

I will speak briefly about each of these five issues.

Why Protein and Amino Acid Consumption is important for ADHD symptom control

The neurotransmitters in our brain are made from amino acids in the foods that we eat. Amino acids in our food are moved into our brains by a highly complex process that involves many other chemicals and molecules, which must in our body, all be in place, and in the correct amount. The best way to achieve this perfect balance of amino acids and helper transporter molecules is to eat a diet rich in proteins.

Taking supplemental amino acids can help but our bodies are programmed to use food, not supplements as neurotransmitter building blocks so whenever possible we should be getting our amino acid supplementation from food not pills. The complex building process is not completed with the use of supplements, which is why studies have been inconsistent regarding their utility in the treatment of ADHD. 

Tyrosine is the main amino acid used by neurons to produce norepinephrine and dopamine but studies have not found that there are benefits to taking supplemental tyrosine. This is thought to be because of the blood brain barrier limiting the use of tyrosine taken in supplement form and because other co-factors such as other vitamins must be combined at a perfect dose in order for supplemental Tyrosine to have any affect on ADHD symptoms.

Amino acids such as acetyl L-carnitine and Phosphatidylserine have been found to help ADHD and proteins such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese, fish and other seafood contain these amino acids. The amino acids have been found to help by improving neurotransmitter function and by neutralizing free radical damage caused by various brain toxins or injuries.

Kids with ADHD often have coexisting diagnoses such as sensory integration problems that make them prone to be picky eaters. Feeding an ADHD kid protein is often not easy. Coming up with creative diet ideas that focus on protein should be a goal for any family with an ADHD child

Healthy snacks for ADHD

Vegetable Consumption and ADHD

Eating vegetables is important for ADHD because of the benefits that vegetables provide to ensure that adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are available to complete a variety of bodily processes. In addition to these benefits, all vegetables have polyphenols. The polyphenols are a huge class of natural supplements that have been used of late to treat everything from cancer to ADHD.

Polyphenols occur in all plant food and are known to be powerful antioxidants but recent studies have found that the polyphenols act to normalize vitamin, mineral and hormone levels in the brain and in other organs in our bodies.

Environmental toxins do not cause ADHD. ADHD is caused by a cluster of factors but toxins such as cigarette smoke, sugar, poor sleep, and stress easily deplete dopamine and norepinephrine levels. The neurons that use Dopamine are easily damaged by oxidization. One ADHD study found that people with ADHD had oxidant levels that were abnormally high.

It is thought that antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C, E and other vitamins not only help protect these neurons from free radical damage but also help with the transmission of amino acids across the blood brain barrier which is necessary for the manufacture of brain dopamine and norepinephrine. Eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals is important because the most efficient and effective way to get these nutrients into an ADHD body is though the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

The Affects of Sugar on ADHD symptoms

Sugar consumption can affect the way our brain metabolizes and uses neurotransmitters and can worsen the symptoms of ADHD. In a normally functioning brain, brain dopamine and norepinephrine allow us to feel alert, allow our memory to function properly, and allow us to better focus and concentrate.

Diets high in sugar are terrible for ADHD. These low protein diets cause the body to secrete insulin. Insulin tells our cells to pull out the dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters in cells and put them in storage for later use. This message causes the amino acids to leave the cells giving the brain an inadequate amount of these neurotransmitters and diminishes the brain's ability to function properly.

The Affect of Food Coloring/Food Additives on ADHD symptoms

Food additives can worsen ADHD symptoms. A well done study published in Lancet in 2007 reported that kids fed a diet with artificial colors and the preservative sodium benzoate were more inattentive and hyperactive than children fed a diet that did not include these substances. The food additives thought to cause these problems included: U.S. certified color Red #40, Blue #2, Yellow #5 (Tartrazine), Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow), as well as sodium benzoate.

Research studies looking into the mechanisms by which these additives cause these behavioral problems have determined that it is possible that the adverse effect of food additives on ADHD symptoms is related to genetics.

They have found that ADHD genes can affect the behavioral responses to these additives. Scientists believe that the reason for this response has to do with something called histamine degradation. Researchers believe that people with specific ADHD genes are the ones most likely to have bad reactions to these food additives.

Prior to these recent studies there were many studies that showed that food additives had not effect on behavior or attention. The researchers of the more recent studies have concluded that the inconsistencies in previous studies, regarding the role of food additives and hyperactive and inattention symptoms, might be explained by gene variations influencing the action of histamine in sensitive individuals.

These findings point to the message that the Dr. Feingold camp has been proposing for years and that is that certain kids are especially sensitive to food additives. In these children, food additives will worsen ADHD symptoms. The DAT1 gene is one of several genes that have been linked with ADHD symptoms. We do not yet know if other genes may also affect symptom response to food additives but it seems advisable, based on what we know so far, to avoid giving these dyes and additives to adults and kids diagnosed with ADHD.

Elimination Diets and ADHD Symptoms

Elimination diets can help ADHD. These diets have been proposed as a treatment measure for ADHD for many years and are controversial. The way they are supposed to work is by eliminating potentially "allergenic" foods from the diet of adults and children with ADHD. It has been proposed that these allergens are the cause of the ADHD behavior.

In the past the use of elimination diets for ADHD was looked upon by much of the established ADHD experts as a huge waste of time. The experts believed that elimination diets would help, at best, a very small fraction of people with ADHD. New studies however are pointing to a wider benefit from the use of elimination diets.

A study performed in England, the 'Impact of Nutrition on Children with ADHD (INCA)' study was designed to answer some of the questions surrounding the utility of elimination diets for the treatment of ADHD. The results of the INCA study were published this year.

The INCA researchers found that a strict elimination diet improved symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, oppositional behavior and inattention and that these behavioral improvements could not have been predicted using IgG levels. IgG levels usually tell us who may have an allergic reaction to certain exposures but in this case the IgG levels did not help us determine which kids would have worse behavior and attention when given potentially allergenic foods.

Elimination diets appear to improve ADHD behavior but they are notoriously difficult to stick with and they can be a huge burden for an ADHD family. Identifying foods that may cause or worsen ADHD behaviors and minimizing the consumption of those foods is, however, an ADHD goal worth pursuing.

Summary

What we eat affects our health and can affect ADHD symptoms. This is true for the Inattentive ADD symptoms as well as for impulsive behavior symptoms of ADHD. A diet that is rich in protein and vegetables may minimize the attention and behavioral problems seen in ADHD. Diets that are high in sugar are unhealthy for all adults and children and may worsen the behavioral and attention problems of people with all types of ADHD.

Recent studies are indicating that the genes and gene variations seen in people with ADHD may interact with food additives and food allergens such as wheat, milk, tree nuts and other allergens. These interactions may contribute to the presence or worsening of ADHD type behaviors. Elimination diets and diets that are free of food additives may help the symptoms of ADHD by minimizing the allergen/gene interactions that may be at the foundation of our ADHD behavioral and attention problems.

Before an ADHD vitamin or supplement regimen is initiated, every attempt must be made to ensure that dietary issues and concerns are addressed. ADHD vitamins are best consumed in foods and not as pills. Wherever possible the ADHD vitamins and substances that help ADHD should become part of the daily diet of the person with ADHD. There are times when ADHD vitamins are still necessary because of faulty or inadequate metabolism of certain bodily nutrients and it is for these situations that supplemental ADHD vitamins are most helpful.

L-Carnitine and ADHD vitamins to Improve ADHD behaviro

One of the ADHD vitamins and supplements that have been found to possibly help ADHD and that I have not discussed so far is L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine is an amino acid that is found protein rich foods such as meat, fish, other seafood, milk and eggs.

In 2009 the journal Pharmacotherapy published a review article that outlined the ADHD vitamins and supplements that were possibly helpful in the treatment of ADHD. The authors of this journal article concluded that L-Carnitine was possibly effective in the treatment of ADHD.

L-carnitine helps ADHD working in conjunction with other ADHD vitamins

L-Carnitine cannot benefit ADHD on its own and appears to work in conjunction with other ADHD vitamins.  Several studies have found pronounced benefits in hyperactivity and inattention using L-Carnitine and other studies have found little or no benefits. These differing results may be caused by differences in the diets of those that were tested with L-Carnitine.

The process by which L-Carnitine helps ADHD is a complicated one and other vitamin cofactors such as vitamin E levels and levels of magnesium for instance have been found, in studies, to affect the overall benefit that is seen when L-Carnitine is used in the treatment of ADHD.

As with other ADHD vitamins and the benefits they produce in the behavioral symptoms of ADHD, L-Carnitine does not work in a vacuum. L-Carnitine and the other ADHD vitamins work as only one component of a complex and interconnected machine known as the brain.

· The benefits of l-Carnitine will depend on what is going on in the rest of the brain but research studies indicate that there are a few possible ways that L-Carnitine helps the symptoms of ADHD. Among the possible benefits of L-Carnitine are the following:

• L-Carnitine plays a role in the synthesis or making of brain neurotransmitters. Many researchers believe that faulty neurotransmitter functioning is the main cause of problems in people with ADHD. 
• L-Carnitine may optimize or help with the brain’s use of glucose, an important factor in all cell functioning. Several studies have shown that people with ADHD have glucose deficiencies in areas of the brain control ADHD behaviors 
• L-Carnitine improves brain blood flow in certain regions of the brain that are thought to be involved in ADHD like behaviors. Studies have found that children and adults with ADHD have a reduced blood flow to these same brain regions. 
•  L-Carnitine helps with the brain’s make and use DHA and other essential fatty acids like the Omega-3 fatty acids. Deficiencies in the essential fatty acids have been linked to increased ADHD behaviors. 
• L-Carnitine is an anti-oxidant and studies have shown that people with ADHD have abnormal oxidant levels that L-Carnitine may help. 
•  L-Carnitine has been found to increase energy levels and has been used for this purpose by athletes with good results. People with the Inattentive type of ADHD often have trouble regulation their arousal levels and can sometime be sluggish. L-Carnitine may increase energy levels in people with ADHD inattentive and in this way improve attention. 

Some studies have reported ADHD behavioral benefits from the use of L-Carnitine in people with the Combined as well as the Inattentive type of ADHD while other studies have shown benefits only in people with a diagnosis of ADHD Inattentive type.

Published studies that have reported improvements in ADHD behaviors have cited doses of 1.5 grams daily for adults and doses of 500mg to 1.5grams two times a day in children. The dose is adjusted by weight so that a person weighing 150 pounds would take 3 grams a day and a child weighing 50 pounds would take 1 gram per day.

There appear to be many biological theories that explain how and why L-Carnitine, when combined with the appropriate levels of other ADHD vitamins, helps with the behaviors of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity seen in people with ADHD but more studies are needed to fully understand the how and whys of L-Carnitine and ADHD behaviors.

ADHD Vitamins 'Help', May Mean Many Different Things.

ADHD Vitamin Help Means Many Things

ADHD Vitamins 'Help' May Mean Many Different Things.


ADHD Vitamins may help ADHD but ADHD Vitamin 'help' can mean different things depending on specific problems and situations.  Let me explain.  There are almost 200 conditions that can look like ADHD, that can worsen ADHD or that can co-occur with ADHD.

An ADHD differential diagnosis post from the Primarily Inattentive ADD website outlines all of these conditions.  ADHD Vitamins may not cure ADHD but these vitamins and supplements 'help' ADHD if they:

• Remove conditions or problems that worsen ADHD symptoms.
• Repair faulty brain or bodily processes that bring on or worsen ADHD symptoms.
• Improve the symptoms of conditions that often co-exist with ADHD .
• Lessen the behavioral problems seen in ADHD.

ADHD Vitamins may improve medical issues that worsen ADHD

The posts on this web page will describe the what, when, how and why of ADHD vitamins and supplements that improve or help ADHD as described in the four bullet points above.  It is often too difficult to separate out diagnostically what causes or worsens one specific behavior or symptoms.  

In the case of  ADHD vitamins and supplements, it is often easier to see improvement in the absence of a complete understanding of the biological processes that brought about the improvement.  Where the scientific literature is unclear regarding how an ADHD vitamins helps, I will mention this as well.

As we begin to discuss ADHD vitamins and supplements where fewer studies have been performed and where the scientific data is sketchier, it is important to keep these things in mind.

Do ADHD Vitamins Improve ADHD Symptoms and Behavior?

Do ADHD Vitamins Work to Improve ADHD Symptoms and Behavior

Do ADHD Vitamins Improve ADHD?

Do ADHD vitamins work? It may seem strange to ask that question at this point but I am doing so because as I move into posts where I describe ADHD vitamins and supplements where the evidence of symptom improvement is less straight forward, it would be good to clarify some information regarding the effectiveness of ADHD vitamins for the treatment of ADHD behavior and symptoms.

The National Institutes of Health reports on their Complementary and Alternative Medicine webpage that most ADHD vitamins and ADHD supplements do not work. They report that the results from the studies performed on most of these alternative treatments for ADHD have been either mixed or negative, meaning that the ADHD vitamin or supplement did not work.

ADHD Deficiencies are not tested.

They, however, go on to state the following, "For children with demonstrated deficiencies of any nutrient (e.g., zinc, iron, magnesium, and vitamins), correction of that deficiency is the logical first-line treatment. It is not clear what proportions of children have such a nutritional deficiency." The deficiency as a cause of ADHD without other symptoms has not been demonstrated."

The vast majority of children and adults with ADHD are not ever tested for vitamin or nutrient deficiencies. They are not test for food intolerance or food allergies. They may be tested for anemia but serum ferritin levels are not tested and we know from the post on Iron and ADHD that low ferritin levels can bring on or worsen behaviors such as ADHD inattention and ADHD hyperactivity even when anemia is not present.

The fatty acid metabolism of many people with ADHD has been found to be faulty because of genetic variations found in these patients and essential fatty acids are required for normal brain functioning. Supplements of Omega-3 may help patients with ADHD and faulty essential fatty acid metabolism while not impacting those patients with normal fatty acid function.

The symptoms of ADHD are quite different and people with ADHD that are predominantly inattentive may benefit from an intervention that people who are primarily hyperactive will not be helped by. The biological and brain processes, deficiencies and problems that occur in different patients with ADHD can be unique. The brain functioning of one person diagnosed with ADHD can be quite different from the brain functioning of another ADHD patient even when the behavioral symptoms are exactly the same.

It is thought that the brain processes that may be faulty in people with the inattentive subtype of ADHD may be quite different from the brain processes taking place in people with the Combined type of ADHD. Studies performed on ADHD vitamins and supplements do not always separate out the Predominantly Inattentive ADHD patients from the other ADHD patients and this can result in findings that are inaccurate or inconsistent.

ADHD Vitamins most definitely help some people with ADHD

ADHD vitamins and supplements will help many people with ADHD. This help will come as the result of these ADHD vitamins either repairing a deficiency or in some other way fixing a brain process that is faulty. The question of how and when ADHD vitamins help is a complex one but I think that we can say without error that in certain cases and for certain patients, ADHD vitamins do, most definitely, work.

Low Blood Iron levels and ADHD Behavior

Iron Deficiency and ADHD

ADHD like behaviors are more likely if your blood stores of iron are low. Iron deficiency and ADHD are related. We have spoken in earlier posts about the other important ADHD vitamins and supplements. I have written about the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids for treating ADHD, about how zinc impacts ADHD behavior and about magnesium and ADHD. Rounding out the big four of the most important ADHD vitamins and supplements is Iron.

Spinach and other Iron rich foods may help ADHD

Iron is a mineral that is a part of every cell in our bodies. Iron helps performs many important functions and reactions in our bodies. Perhaps iron's most important function is to help a part of our blood called hemoglobin carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body. Iron is involved in the oxygenation of our blood but also is involved in the metabolism and functioning of other cells in our body. 

Iron Deficiency can cause ADHD  Symptoms

Iron in the diet is normally found in many foods but is abundant in clams, oysters, fortified cereals, soy, lentils, spinach, pumpkin and red meat. Iron that comes from a meat or fish source is absorbed better than iron that comes from a vegetable or fortified cereal source.

Vitamin C can help our bodies absorb iron from non-meat iron sources such as fortified cereals so it is a good idea to eat an orange or drink a small glass of orange juice when eating iron fortified cereals or other non-meat, iron rich, foods. A complete list of iron rich foods and the adult and child recommended daily requirements for iron can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nutrition for Everyone, website. 

Iron rich foods can help the symptoms of ADHD

When our bodies are deficient in iron or iron stores, our brains do not function properly. Iron deficiency is associated with decreased motor and cognitive development and with an increased diagnosis of ADHD. Because low iron levels and iron deficiency can cause decreased cognitive scores even when the iron deficiency is not causing an anemia, children with ADHD who do not eat a diet that is rich in meat and iron fortified foods should be tested to determine their ferritin and iron levels.

A study published in the December, 2010 Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmocology found that children with low ferritin levels had increased inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and total ADHD scores. These researchers found that the amount of inattentive ADHD behavior and total ADHD behavior could be predicted by the level of blood ferritin. The authors of this study reported that, "Serum ferritin was inversely correlated with baseline inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and total ADHD symptom scores." The lower the ferritin level was, the more severe the ADHD symptoms.

Very young children, pregnant women, adolescent girls and children who drink more than 24 ounces of milk a day are most at risk for iron deficiency and low blood ferritin (iron) levels. Young children and adolescents who fill up on milk products tend to consume fewer meats and iron fortified cereals. Adolescents and children with diets such as these can quickly become iron deficient which can then lead to problems such as anemia and increased ADHD like symptoms.

Iron deficiency anemias are most often detected during a routine check up where a complete blood count is measured.  Since ADHD behaviors can be brought on by decreased iron stores when there is no anemia present, tests such as serum iron tests and serum ferritin test are sometimes used to determine the amount of iron and stored iron in a person's system and it is these tests that will predict if supplemental iron is necessary. These tests can also predict if the ADHD like behavior is being brought on by or worsened by the presence of low iron stores in a person's body.

Adults and parents of young children with ADHD should consult their physicians for ferritin and iron testing before beginning any iron supplements. Accidental iron supplement overdose has been linked to deaths in children and any ADHD vitamin and supplement should be started only after a thorough physical evaluation and after a consultation and discussion with a physician.

Magnesium as an ADHD Vitamin.

Magnesium as an ADHD Vitamin.

Foods that have magnesium, A potent ADHD Vitamin can help the symptoms of ADHD

Magnesium is one of the ADHD vitamins that have been studied extensively.  Magnesium is an important bodily mineral and it is the fourth most abundant element in your body.   Scientific research has proven that deficiencies in magnesium can result in many health problems including problems with cognition or thinking.  One of the mental heath issues that have been associated with magnesium deficiencies is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Deficiencies in Magnesium can result not only in inattention but also in impulsive behavior and hyperactivity.

Most ADHD vitamins deficiencies are uncommon but this is not the case for Magnesium.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported data from the National Health and Nutrition survey that states that over 75% of teen age children in the United States have nutritional deficiencies of magnesium.   According to the CDC, many adults and children are deficient as well.  The CDC believes that these nutritional deficiencies are the result of inadequate dietary intakes of this important ADHD vitamin.

Magnesium is involved in brain function, nervous system function, endocrine function and sugar levels, energy metabolism, circulatory function and blood pressure as well as immune function but magnesium is very important as an ADHD vitamin for other reasons.  

ADHD is thought to be, among other things, a problem of neurotransmitter functioning.  Amino acids are the building blocks of the brain's neurotransmitters and these amino acids are made from bodily proteins.   It is necessary to have the ADHD vitamin magnesium on board in order that our bodies are able to properly break down and metabolize protein.

ADHD Vitamins such as magnesium improve ADHD

Scientific research studies have found that a diet with 80 mg to 200 mg of magnesium daily can improve the symptoms of  ADHD inattentive, hyperactivity and other ADHD symptoms.  As with all ADHD vitamins, it is best to get supplemental magnesium into our bodies by eating magnesium rich foods.  Green leafy vegetables are among the foods that are rich in magnesium as are foods that contain whole grains, beans and peanuts.  Other magnesium rich foods include fish, walnuts, cashews, avocados, raisins, milk products and tomato paste. 

People and children who are involved in regular sports activities are likely to have low magnesium levels unless they are careful to increase the amount of magnesium rich food that they eat.  The reason for this is related to the fact that the sweating and increased respiration that occurs with exercise is one of the main ways that bodily magnesium is lost.

Recent studies have found that people who eat diets that are rich in magnesium suffer from fewer strokes, are less likely to have diabetes or hypertension, are less likely to die of sudden cardiac death and have fewer migraine headaches but these are not the magnesium benefits that are the most relevant to people with ADHD.  Magnesium is an important ADHD vitamin because it has been shown to improve the concentration and impulse control and other ADHD symptoms as well as greatly improving other mental health conditions commonly seen in people with ADHD such as sleep and mood disturbances.

Sleep and mood brain disturbances are thought to be the result of brain neurotransmitter malfunction just as ADHD is thought to be a neurotransmitter or brain communication system problem.  Research evidence has shown that magnesium can regulate and improve the brain's neurotransmitter system problems.  Researcher now believe that deficiencies in magnesium, which can be caused by excess perspiration or by decreased dietary intake, may result if faulty brain communication or neurotransmitter functioning, which can, in turn, result in conditions such as insomnia, depression, anxiety and ADHD.

As far as ADHD vitamins go, magnesium may be one of the most important.   Many of us have magnesium deficiencies that can result in current and future health problems.  Magnesium is the fourth most common mineral in our bodies and adequate amounts of magnesium are essential for proper brain functioning and for improving our concentration, thinking, behavior and our mood.

Our brains need ADHD vitamins such as Magnesium to improve our attention and behavior.

Most of us are not deficient in other ADHD vitamins but many of us may need to supplement our diets with magnesium.  By eating a diet that is rich in magnesium or by supplementing our diets with magnesium we can not only improve the symptoms of ADHD but we can avoid making the concentration problems and behavioral problems of ADHD worse.  

Taking supplemental magnesium will not only help our ADHD symptoms but it is likely to lessens the mood disturbances and other co-conditions commonly seen in ADHD as well as improving our overall health.

Zinc ADHD Vitamins Improve Symptoms of Attention and Hyperactivity

Zinc is one of four ADHD vitamins or supplements that is, indisputably,
helpful in improving the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD). I say indisputably with a qualifier. Many traditionally trained
physicians will dispute the benefit of the use of any vitamin for ADHD symptoms improvement.

Zinc has been used as a vitamin for ADHD in many clinical studies and many well
done case control and random control trials. The results of these studies have
been published in various peer reviewed and respected medical journals and the
majority of these clinical trials have reported findings indicating that zinc is one of the most important ADHD vitamins and that zinc will improve the symptoms of ADHD.

Zinc ADHD Vitamins

Zinc is naturally found in oysters, wheat germ, lamb, veal liver, peanuts, dark
chocolate and sesame seeds but many people do not consume enough of these foods
to get and adequate amount of zinc in their diets. People who eat a diet that
does not include enough zinc rich foods will be zinc deficient and these zinc
deficiencies has been shown in studies to cause memory deficits, hyperactivity
and learning problems.

Zinc is especially important during childhood development and it plays an
important role in brain maturation. One study of young, zinc deprived, monkeys
reported findings indicating that zinc deprivation led to learning and memory
deficits as well as emotional immaturity.

The reason that zinc helps the symptoms of ADHD is related to the fact that zinc
is necessary for our bodies and our brains to break down and use many bodily
elements that are significant for proper brain functioning. These same brain elements are also
important in the treatment of ADHD.

The science behind how zinc works is complicated but some of the bodily factors that are
affected by the ADHD vitamin, zinc include:

1. The use of dietary proteins which are the essential building blocks of our brain messengers, the neurotransmitters.
2. The effectiveness of the essential fatty acids such as the Omega-3 fatty acids that are not only brain anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory but that also play an important role in ADHD treatment as mentioned in the post on Omega-3 and ADHD
3. Dopamine, serotonin and nor-epinephrine, the neurotransmitters that are thought to play the most important and critical role in the development of ADHD symptoms. 
4. Melatonin which not only contributes to the quality of our sleep but that also acts to regulate the use of dopamine in our brains. 

Children with ADHD have been found to have lower zinc concentration than
children with no ADHD symptoms . One study found that 2/3 of children with ADHD
had zinc deficiencies. Supplemental zinc when used as an ADHD vitamin has been
found to improve the inattention of children with ADHD as well as the hyperactivity of ADHD.

Other vitamins for ADHD such as magnesium, the B vitamins and Iron work together
with zinc to improve brain function. One study found that verbal and non-verbal
memory deficits in children could be corrected with the use of and zinc and iron
supplement.

Zinc is an important and essential brain nutrient that must be present for our
brains to break down and use many bodily products. Adults and children with ADHD are sometimes zinc deficient because they do not eat foods that are rich in ADHD vitamins such as zinc.

Taking zinc as an ADHD vitamin at a dose of 15mg per day is important to insure that our bodies function properly and this supplemental zinc may improve the symptoms of ADHD. As with any ADHD vitamin or ADHD supplement, before taking supplemental zinc, adults and children with ADHD should consult their physicians.