From this You Tube Video
A Summary
Supplements for ADHD: Evidence and Limits
The ADHD supplement market is crowded: fish oil, magnesium, zinc, amino acids, melatonin, herbal blends, branded powders. The premise is simple: ADHD involves dopamine and norepinephrine dysregulation, so perhaps nutritional interventions can help. The reality is more constrained.
Gold standard remains stimulants. Decades of trials show methylphenidate, amphetamine salts, lisdexamfetamine reliably reduce core ADHD symptoms (executive dysfunction, motivation deficits). Stimulants are better studied and more effective than non-stimulants (atomoxetine, guanfacine). Concerns about addiction risk are misplaced; consistent evidence suggests stimulants reduce later risk of substance misuse by providing regulated dopamine input.
Supplements with modest support:
- Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, EPA/DHA): modest benefit on executive function after ~6 weeks; not equivalent to medication.
- Magnesium: emerging but weak evidence, often anecdotal; may help with sleep or migraines.
- Melatonin: helps with delayed sleep onset common in ADHD.
Supplements with little or no effect: multivitamins, iron, zinc (unless lab deficiency), amino acids (tryptophan, L-carnitine, L-theanine), herbal products (St. John’s wort, ginseng, lion’s mane, etc.). Double-blind placebo trials are consistently null.
Placebo is nontrivial. ADHD brains (and parents) are vulnerable to high-pressure marketing. Placebos can produce real subjective benefit, but that is not the same as robust effect.
Risks: supplement quality is poorly regulated in the US. Dosing may be inconsistent; some products adulterated. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can accumulate to toxic levels. Fish oil can thin blood. Interaction with medications is plausible (e.g. anesthesia).
Cheapest, best-supported non-drug interventions remain:
- Exercise: 15 minutes improves executive function tests.
- Sleep optimization: ADHD brains have chronic sleep debt; treat sleep apnea, insomnia.
- CBT/therapy: especially for shame, distortions, co-occurring trauma.
- Coaching and accommodations (workplace, school).
- Mindfulness/movement, if adapted for ADHD tolerances (short, concrete).
Meta-level:
- Effective treatments tend to be inexpensive and low-tech.
- Beware slick marketing and contractual commitments.
- The goal is symptom reduction, not cure. ADHD is managed, not eliminated.
- Future research on hormones (estrogen/progesterone in ADHD women) may open new supplement avenues, but data are preliminary.
Bottom line:
Outside of stimulants, the best-supported adjuncts are omega-3 fatty acids, melatonin for sleep, and possibly magnesium. Most other supplements lack evidence. Behavioral supports (exercise, sleep hygiene, CBT, accommodations) have broader, more consistent benefit.