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 '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.

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.

Vitamins for ADHD, More Omega-3 Info

Perhaps the single most effective ADHD vitamins/supplements are the Omega-3 fatty acids.  Studies have reported fairly consistent improvement in the ADHD inattention scores of ADHD children and adults who are taking supplemental Omega-3 fatty acids.  As far as vitamins for ADHD are concerned, the Omega-3s are one of the 'heavy hitters'.

The Omega-3s are not the only beneficial vitamins for ADHD but before I move on to discuss other ADHD vitamins and supplements there are a few bits of information that I thought I should include or emphasize.

ADHD Vitamins and Omega-3 for ADHD

In the interest of the ADHD reader (that would be anyone reading on the web), I will list these in list form.

1. Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important for brain function as well as other important bodily functions.
2. The Omega-3 fatty acids are a natural substance found in fatty fish, in some seeds and nuts such as flax seed and walnuts and also in certain vegetable oils. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be taken as a dietary supplement.
3. The Omega-3 fatty acids may be poorly absorbed AND Metabolized by people with ADHD.
4. The ratio of fats in the diet is as important as the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids consumed. Too much intake of the "bad" fats found in foods such as deep fried offerings will totally interfere with the proper absorption and effectiveness of the Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating a high dose of 'bad' fats will nullify or decrease any benefits that might have been had from taking this ADHD vitamin/supplement. 
5. Taking Omega-3 fatty acids in food form is ALWAYS better than taking this ADHD vitamin/supplement is pill form.
6. Certain other vitamins such as zinc, magnesium, and vitamin C and Vitamin E play a crucial role in the metabolism and absorption of the essential fatty acids. 
7. The essential fatty acids are prone to oxidative damage and as a result it is necessary to take dietary anti-oxidants in order to diminish this oxidative process. Vitamin E is a fat soluble anti-oxidant that can stick around for longer periods of time within our bodies and for this reason may be more beneficial as an anti-oxidant than some of the other water soluble anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin C. 
8. Not all essential fatty acids are created equal. According to Nicholas Iverson, who writes the very comprehensive and detailed scientific ADHD Treatment Blog, the three different omega-3 fatty acids all play a role in improving ADHD. Iverson reports that "Among the omega 3-fatty acids, perhaps the most important is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The human body is unable to produce this type of fat, so it must be obtained via dietary measures. The body can then convert ALA to two other types of omega-3 fatty acids, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA(eicosapentaenoic acid). Both DHA and EPA can be incorporated into cell membranes, giving them a more flexible conformation. Not surprisingly, all three of these omega-3's (ALA, DHA and EPA) are currently popular supplements and health-food items." Iverson also states that the ADHD vitamins/supplements called EPA may be the Omega-3 most likely to help ADHD but that all three of these Omega-3s are important in their own way.
9. The recommended dosage of the Omega-3 fatty acids is not written in stone but most experts agree that for adults and children, a dosage of 1-3 grams of a fish oil tablet daily can help the symptoms of ADHD.
10. According to the National Institute of Health, National Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, The FDA has concluded that omega-3 dietary supplements from fish are recognized as safe but in some people they may cause minor gastrointestinal upsets, including diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, and abdominal bloating. The NIH reports that in high doses, fish oil can interact with certain medications, including blood thinners and drugs used for high blood pressure.
11. When choosing an Omega-3 fatty acid ADHD vitamin/supplements, chose one that states on the bottle that it has been tested and found to be free of heavy metals such as mercury and that is guaranteed to be free of environmental toxins such as PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls.
12. Patients should always consult with their physician before starting any ADHD vitamins or supplements.

Vitamins for ADHD and the Omega-3 Fatty acids

In closing, I would like to recommend that anyone with or without ADHD supplement their diet with foods rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids.  In grocery stores today, you can find milk, bread, eggs and other products that have supplemental Omega-3 fatty acids included.  Inattention and other ADHD behaviors can be improved by increasing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.  If you or your child are unable to eat a diet that is rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids than you should consider supplementing your diet with an ADHD vitamins/supplement rich in Omega-3s.

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