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 '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.

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.