What you eat influences your health — including your brain health. If you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nutrition could affect the severity of your symptoms.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can cause a wide range of symptoms related to inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
ADHD involves changes to your brain’s structure and function that can affect organization, attention, and decision making — but your diet might also influence the severity of your symptoms. The nutrients you take in can either support your brain’s optimal function or work against it.
All systems in your body need a steady source of nutrients to maintain their function, and your brain is no exception.
Nutrients provide your brain with energy. They support neurotransmitter (brain chemical) function, cell membrane integrity, and communication between neurons. Certain nutrients also help fight inflammation and oxidative stress while promoting immune signaling.
Here are some of the nutrients that are key to your brain health and ability to think, along with brief explanations of what they do:
- Omega-3 fatty acids: help build cell membranes, support neurotransmitter function, and reduce inflammation
- B vitamins: support neurotransmitter production, brain cell growth, neuron signaling, and energy conversion
- Antioxidants: vitamins and minerals that help neutralize damage from stress and free radicals and reduce inflammation
- Phytonutrients (natural plant compounds): help improve brain plasticity and protect against oxidative stress and inflammation
- Vitamin D: regulates neurotransmitters and helps maintain neuron function
- Choline: a key component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved with memory, learning, and attention
If you don’t consume the right balance of nutrients for your brain’s optimal function, you might experience symptoms such as brain fog, inattention, memory problems, mood instability, and difficulty with learning — even if you don’t have ADHD.
In ADHD, the effects of inadequate nutrition on your brain may compound your existing symptoms.
The exact role of nutrients in ADHD management is an area of ongoing research. Your body needs
When it comes to ADHD, research has found several nutrient types that show promise as important dietary components in ADHD symptoms.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that your body uses for processes involved in brain health, heart health, and inflammation control, among others.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that’s particularly important for brain health. DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) are deposited into the lipids of cell membranes that form the gray matter, representing about 25% of the total content of brain fatty acids.
According to a 2021 research review, children with ADHD appear to have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA.
While more large-scale research is necessary to find out whether omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has universal benefits for ADHD, existing studies are promising.
A 12-week
Minerals
Minerals play important roles in brain health. They support neurotransmitter production and brain cell function and protect your brain from oxidative damage, among many other functions.
Key minerals under investigation for ADHD include iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium. According to a
Magnesium is another mineral that’s essential to neurotransmitter function and nervous system regulation.
According to a small 2020 study, children with ADHD often have low magnesium levels in their blood. The researchers found that supplementing magnesium in combination with vitamin D (which helps raise magnesium levels in the blood) helped reduce social, conduct, and anxiety challenges in children with ADHD.
Vitamins
Vitamins are micronutrients that support your brain’s neurotransmitter production, promote neuroplasticity, and help protect your brain from inflammation and oxidative damage. Vitamin D and B vitamins are among the most researched when it comes to benefits for ADHD.
One research review from 2019 found that vitamin D supplementation showed a small but statistically significant improvement in symptoms related to inattention, hyperactivity, and behavior. But the authors indicated that more large-scale research is necessary to determine the safety and effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation for ADHD.
A 2024 review notes that children with ADHD appear to have lower B9 and B12 levels than children without ADHD, and an older 2016 study suggests that low levels of B2 and B6 are associated with increased ADHD symptom severity in adults.
Many people have observed that sugar intake can increase hyperactivity, particularly in people with ADHD. Sugar can spike your energy levels, which may show up as hyperactivity or agitation. There’s currently no conclusive evidence about sugar’s impact on ADHD symptoms, but it may amplify symptoms in some people.
According to a 2020 review, there appears to be a positive relationship between overall sugar consumption and ADHD symptoms, which suggests that greater sugar consumption is associated with an increase in symptoms. But more research is necessary before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Food additives
Food additives such as artificial colors and preservatives are another area of debate when it comes to nutrition and ADHD. Some experts suggest that certain food additives may interfere with neurotransmitters or cause neuroinflammation that worsens ADHD symptoms, but more evidence is needed.
A review from 2022, for example, found that diets high in artificial food coloring produced statistically significant increases in ADHD symptoms among children.
Another 2022 review found that the food preservative sodium benzoate was associated with a higher prevalence of ADHD symptoms.
Some children may be more sensitive to food additives than others. A small
Currently, the European Union requires foods that contain certain artificial colorings to have a warning label about potential activity and attention effects on children, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has not taken similar regulatory action yet.
While the data remains mixed and limited as to exactly how nutrition might affect ADHD symptoms, a balanced diet that emphasizes whole foods can support your brain health whether you live with ADHD or not.
This type of diet is ideal because whole foods provide nutrients in the most natural and bioavailable forms possible. Foods to consider adding to your diet include:
- dark green, leafy vegetables
- lean protein
- healthy fatty foods such as fish, avocados, and nuts
- eggs
- berries
- cruciferous vegetables
- fermented foods
When you eat might matter too. For some people, staying on an evenly timed eating schedule helps provide steady levels of nutrients to continuously support brain function and prevent energy crashes.
Nutrition is important for your brain health, whether you have ADHD or not. But if you do have ADHD, what you eat might affect your symptoms by compounding challenges related to inattention, memory, learning, and behavior.
More evidence is needed to understand the role of nutrition in ADHD. But eating a balanced diet rich in whole foods can support your brain health regardless of your ADHD status.
