ADHD Vitamin and Omega-3s

In the last post about Omega – 3 fatty acids and ADHD vitamins we spoke about the studies that have shown that people with ADHD, Inattentive and  Combined type have deficiencies in blood levels of the essential fatty acids including the Omega-3 fatty acids and that these fatty acid may play the most important role in improving our health, our ADHD symptoms and our mood.

ADHD Vitamins and Omega-3

We discussed the fact that genetics may take part in the inability of people with ADHD to metabolize these fatty acid ADHD vitamins and supplements and we discussed how adding Omega-3 fatty acids to the diet of people with ADHD improves their inattention, impulsive behavior and mood.

The trick to getting enough of the good ADHD vitamins and fatty acids into your body if you have a problem metabolizing Omega-3 may lie in giving the Omega-3 as a cocktail with other ADHD vitamins.  These other ADHD vitamins when given in combination with the Omega-3 fatty acids are known the help with fatty acid metabolism.

A few studies have looked into the question of improving the metabolism of the ADHD vitamins such as Omega-3s in people with the symptoms of ADHD by adding other vitamins to the ADHD supplement.  A German study gave children with ADHD a food supplement that contained magnesium, zinc, and Omega-3.  The researchers of this study found that after 12 weeks of taking the combination ADHD vitamin supplement, the children showed 'considerable' improvement in hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and in also in their levels of attention.

Zinc, magnesium and the omega-3 fatty acids are thought to help ADHD in different ways and it appears that in the case of these ADHD vitamins, the combination of magnesium, zinc and omega-3, acts in such a way that they either improve the brain use of Omega-3s or in some other way combine to improve ADHD symptoms.

The doses of Omega-3 fatty acids that were used in the Germans study were 400mg of the Omega-3 fatty acids known as EPA, a day.  DHA, another Omega-3 ADHD vitamin supplement was given at a dose of 40mg a day.  The children also received ADHD vitamins in the form of 5mg of zinc a day and 80mg of daily magnesium.

People with ADHD may have a problem with the way their bodies take in and use fatty acids.  Eating too many foods with trans-fats such as foods that are deep fried may throw off the balance of fatty acids in our bodies.  The lack of balance between the good and the bad fats may lead to symptoms of disease and to the worsening of ADHD symptoms.

Taking Omega-3 fatty acids and/or ADHD vitamins may help people with ADHD correct the problems that they have with their body’s use of the fatty acids.  Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids may help the symptoms of ADHD.  The addition of zinc and magnesium may allow the brain’s of people with ADHD to use the fatty acids in a more effective way.

Eating Salmon Improves levels of ADHD vitamins and Omega -3s

Omega-3 fatty acids when taken as supplements hold great promise for improving the symptoms of ADHD.  Eating a diet rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids is the best solution but most people do not eat enough fish, seeds and nuts to get all the Omega-3s that their body’s need.  Taking supplemental Omega-3 may be the answer as this ADHD vitamin supplement has been found to improve the behavioral problems, inattention and other symptoms of ADHD.

ADHD Vitamins & Supplement with most Promise: Omega-3

Omega-3 ADHD Vitamins & Supplement

ADHD Vitamins & Supplement with most Promise: Omega-3

Of the wide variety ADHD vitamins and supplements tried to treat the behavioral issues seen in ADHD perhaps the only ADHD Vitamin supplement that has been almost always found to resolve the symptoms and problems that are seen in adults and children with ADHD are the essential fatty acids that are also called 'Omega-3s'.

The story of how it occurred to scientist that fatty acids might help ADHD is an interesting one.  Scientist looking at animals discovered that animals with fatty acid deficiencies often  behave like kids with Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD.  Other researchers  determined that if you removed all fatty acids from a non-ADHD child’s diet, they would begin to act like a child with ADHD..

Researchers  that look at ADHD decided to test kids with ADHD to find out if their blood levels of essential fatty acids were deficient.  What they discovered  was that the ADHD children  with the lowest levels  of essential fatty acids  had significantly more behavioral problems, ADHD temper tantrums, and learning, health, and sleep disturbances than did those with normal levels of  essential fatty acids.

One group of  researchers  set out to try to determine why the fatty acids  levels of these ADHD  children  were abnormal and another group set out to give essential fatty acids as an ADHD vitamin supplement to see if the behavioral problems of ADHD could be improved with supplemental essential fatty acids.

The group of  researchers looking into the question of why these kids had low levels determined that genetics or other metabolism of fatty acid break down issues cause some people with ADHD to metabolize the  essential fatty acids in a manner that results in lower Omega-3 fatty acid blood levels.  They also found that this metabolism problem occurred even when the kids were supplemented with fatty acids.

ADHD Vitamins

For the kids with abnormal fatty acid metabolism, supplementing with higher levels of  fatty acids and correcting for the amount of different types of fatty acids, what nutritionist call the ‘good’ versus the ‘bad’ fatty acids, can oft times, the scientist discovered, repair these abnormally low levels.

The researchers  studying the question of  whether Omega-3 fatty acid supplements could improve ADHD symptoms reported that supplementation with essential fatty acids  in many instances does improve the behavioral symptoms of ADHD and that the inattentive symptoms of ADHD may be improved more than other ADHD behaviors.

The Omega-3 fatty acids when taken as supplements hold great promise for improving the behavioral problems of ADHD.  Eating a diet rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids is undoubtedly the best solution but most people do not eat enough fish, seeds and nuts to get all the Omega-3s that their bodies demand.  Taking supplemental Omega-3 may be the answer as this ADHD vitamin supplement has been shown to dramatically improve the behavioral issues, inattentive ADHD behavior and other symptoms of ADHD.

In the next post I will write about the best dosing of the Omega-3s as an ADHD Vitamin supplement to treat the symptoms of ADHD.

ADHD Vitamins and ADHD Supplements

Vitamins to help ADHD

Many parents and patients prefer to try an ADHD vitamin or ADHD supplement prior to starting an ADHD medication.  ADHD alternative treatment options are abundant but not always effective.

There are many paid sponsor on the internet recommending this ADHD vitamin or that 'special' ADHD supplement.  These ADHD alternative treatments are not all created equal.  Understanding what ADHD vitamins and ADHD supplements is crucial if you are to start an ADHD alternative treatment plan.

There are, in fact, so many ADHD vitamins and ADHD supplements recommended by the internet for improving the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that a parent or patient can become totally confused regarding what vitamins they should be taking to improve the inattention, hyperactivity or impulsive behavior seen in ADHD.

While many ADHD vitamins have been used to try to improve symptoms, only a few have been shown in studies to actually help hyperactivity, Inattentive ADHD or impulsive behavior. 

Several researchers have reviewed the scientific studies and have found that there are only a handful of ADHD vitamins and ADHD supplements that have in repeated studies found to improve the symptoms of ADHD.

The journal Pharmacotherapy published an update in June of 2009 where they reviewed the available vitamin and supplement treatment for ADHD and concluded that "Polyunsaturated fatty acids (fish oil), acetyl-L-carnitine, and iron supplements (for youth with low ferritin levels) show promise in improving ADHD symptoms.  Several other new vitamins and supplements are also showing promise in improving the symptoms of ADHD.

The dosage of these ADHD vitamins and ADHD supplements and the specific benefits of each will be discussed at length on this webpage.  When possible I will give instructions on how to get these important vitamins from your diet as this is the best way to get vitamins into our bodies.


I will only write about the ADHD vitamins and ADHD supplements that have been shown in scientific studies to improve the symptoms of ADHD.  Please feel free to comment or ask questions.  I appreciate your visit