Inside the ADHD mind

ADHD Medication & Treatment > Natural Remedies for ADHD

VITAMINS & MINERALS

Vitamin Power! 8 Best Supplements for ADHD

ADHD nutrition expert Sandy Newmark, M.D., lets you in on the eight vitamins, minerals, and herbs
that he recommends to his patients to boost attention and improve focus — no matter what age they
are.

BY SANDY NEWMARK, M.D.

The Best Supplements for ADHD

Zinc and Magnesium: These minerals play an important role in controlling attention de cit
disorder (ADHD or ADD) symptoms. Zinc regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, and it may
make methylphenidate more e ective by improving the brain’s response to dopamine1.
Magnesium is also used to make neurotransmitters involved in attention.
Iron: Iron plays an important role in controlling ADHD symptoms in children. If you suspect low
iron levels, be sure to have them measured by your doctor.
Inositol and Theanine: Inositol is part of the B-vitamin complex and theanine is an amino acid
found in green tea. Both have calming properties that can settle an ADHD brain.
Pycnogenol: An extract made from French maritime pine bark, this herb may improve
concentration2.

Valerian and Lemon Balm: In a large European study3 on hyperactivity and sleep problems, using
these herbs together was found to relax children with ADHD.

[Free Download: 5 All-Natural ADHD Supplements]

Sandy Newmark, M.D., is a member of the ADDitude ADHD Medical Review Panel.

Footnotes
1 Akhondzadeh, Shahin. “Zinc Sulfate as an Adjunct to Methylphenidate for the Treatment of Attention De cit Hyperactivity
Disorder in Children: A Double Blind and Randomized Trial.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 4, no. 9, 2004, doi:10.1186/isrctn64132371.
2 Trebatická, Jana, Soňa Kopasová, Zuzana Hradečná, Kamil Činovský, Igor Škodáček, Ján Šuba, Jana Muchová, Ingrid

Žitňanová, Iweta Waczulíková, Peter Rohdewald, and Zdeňka Ďuračková. “Treatment of ADHD with French Maritime Pine Bark
Extract, Pycnogenol®.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 15, no. 6, 2006, pp. 329-35.
3 Müller, S.f., and S. Klement. “A Combination of Valerian and Lemon Balm Is E ective in the Treatment of Restlessness and
Dyssomnia in Children.” Phytomedicine, vol. 13, no. 6, 2006, pp. 383-87.

Updated on June 19, 2019

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