Natural Remedies for ADHD: Best Natural Treatment Options – Health Central
Exercise, a healthful diet, mindfulness and more have been shown, in adults and kids, to reduce ADHD symptoms like inattention and impulsivity.
Studies show that medication, along with behavioral therapy, is the first-line treatment for ADHD in adults and children. Methylphenidate (like Ritalin) and amphetamine (including Adderall), two classes of ADHD medication, can improve inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—the core symptoms of ADHD—in 70% to 85% of those diagnosed with the condition.
But not every person responds to ADHD medication, and some may experience troubling side effects, such as jitteriness, irritability, difficulty falling asleep, or a racing heart.
Even when medication works, there can be residual ADHD symptoms or related difficulties that people struggle with—things like organizational challenges, emotion control, procrastination, and anxiety, a co-occurring condition that affects many with an ADHD diagnosis.
“ADHD affects more than attention,” says Lidia Zylowska, M.D., an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and author of The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD. “It makes many aspects of daily living more challenging, so you need a toolbox of strategies to address the physical, spiritual, and social parts of one’s life.”
Dr. Zylowska recommends supplementing medication with natural therapies to address the “whole person.”
“When you combine conventional treatment like medication with exercise, a healthy diet, mindfulness, and coaching, you increase your chances of reducing a wider range of ADHD symptoms,” says Dr. Zylowska.
She highlights the following research-backed natural therapies that have proved helpful in managing ADHD symptoms.
Exercise improves mood, strengthens the heart, tunes up the brain, and confers a host of other benefits on those who regularly do it. Physical movement also leads to specific positive changes in the ADHD brain.
“Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve executive functions, attention, and behavioral symptoms in people with ADHD,” says Dr. Zylowska.
No matter what exercise you do—strength training, aerobics, tai chi, or playing a sport—if you increase your heart rate and muscle contractions, you’re stimulating activity in the prefrontal cortex and turning on your attention system.
“Exercise accomplishes this by elevating the levels of neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine throughout the brain,” says John Ratey, M.D., author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. This leads to sharper executive functions and more self-control, and less impulsivity and hyperactivity.
Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise a day is a good baseline goal, but even five minutes of jumping rope, or doing squats or pushups can trigger your attention system, says Dr. Ratey, co-author of, along with Edward Hallowell, M.D., ADHD 2.0. The benefits for the ADHD brain are dependent on not only how long you exercise but also the intensity of the activity.
Exercising outside in nature further enhances the brain benefits of physical activity. Spending time in a natural setting can turn on a person’s attention system while lowering the high stress and anxiety levels many people with ADHD experience, according to research.
Studies show that a poor diet worsens ADHD symptoms, whether taking medication or not. Eating the standard American diet—high in processed foods containing trans fats, added sugar, preservatives, and food coloring—increases the impairments from ADHD as well as from depression, a condition experienced by many with ADHD.
On the other hand, eating foods that support health and mood may also help a person manage ADHD symptoms. For example, in a 2019 analysis of different diets of children with ADHD published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, a diet high in fish, legumes, fruits, and vegetables was associated with lower ADHD symptoms, whereas a “Western” diet was found to increase symptoms.
In addition, eating protein at each meal has been linked to higher levels of dopamine and norepinephrine—brain chemicals that play a role in mood, motivation, and focus, says Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and clinical instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. Protein-rich foods are used by the body to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by brain cells to communicate with each other. Higher levels of neurotransmitters increase the ability to sustain attention.
Maintaining attention and regulating emotions are some of the biggest challenges facing those with ADHD. Mindfulness has been shown to address those challenges and reduce stress.
Says Dr. Zylowska: “Mindfulness trains attention, and strengthens your ability to self-observe and respond skillfully (versus react). It teaches you to pay attention to attention and refocus when you are distratcted. It can also make you more aware of your emotional state and create a pause before reacting. This helps with intense emotions such as anger, overwhelm or fear. In a similar way, mindfulness can help curb impulsivity, often a problem for people with ADHD.”
Mindfulness enables a person to change unproductive habits in the moment. For example, mindful awareness may help a person realize why she is procrastinating by identifying emotions causing the procrastination. The observation often empowers a person to take the first step toward accomplishing their goal.
Adults with ADHD often judge themselves harshly when they miss a deadline or an appointment, or react impulsively with a friend. Self-compassion—a part of mindfulness training—is important for countering those negative judgments. Giving yourself validation and offering yourself kindness—acknowledging “This is difficult and I’m stressed and struggling”— can prevent you from stewing over a misstep and enable proactive problem-solving, says Dr. Zylowska.
A healthy diet is always the first and best place to start to reduce ADHD symptoms, says Dr. Zylowska. But if you decide to take a supplement, omega-3s have been well studied in ADHD. There is evidence that two omega-3 fatty acids—EPA and DHA—provide some benefit for ADHD symptoms as well as cardiovascular and brain health. Taking a daily fish oil capsule—or eating fish twice a week—may reduce impulsivity and distractibility in those diagnosed with the condition.
While not as effective as medication, omega-3s can be a healthy addition to treat ADHD symptoms. Talk with a doctor or nutritionist about appropriate dosage—most experts recommend at least 1-2 grams of omega-3s daily—and brands that are low in mercury.
Research suggests that a specific multivitamin/multimineral supplement can manage some ADHD symptoms. Daily Essential Nutrients, a broad-spectrum micronutrient formula, may improve inattention and emotional regulation, says Dr. Zylowska. Some experts theorize that using a combination of vitamins and minerals for ADHD supports important processes in the brain, such as the production and availability of neurotransmitters. It is possible that other multivitamin/multimineral supplements have similar effects, but they have not been well studied, says Dr. Zylowska.
However, she says, low vitamin D, zinc, iron, and magnesium blood levels have been found to be associated with ADHD, and those with such deficiencies may benefit from supplementation and improve their overall health.
In terms of herbs, one small study found passionflower extract to be comparable to methylphenidate in treating ADHD symptoms. A handful of herbs have shown some evidence of improving inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, says Dr. Zylowska, including Korean red ginseng, ginkgo biloba, French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol). and bacopa monnieri.
However, just because herbs are natural doesn’t necessarily mean they’re safe. Supplements aren’t reviewed for safety and effectiveness like medications are, and they can interact with drugs you or your child may be taking. Always consult a clinician or pharmacist before adding a supplement to your routine.
There is little or no research supporting CBD oil’s effect on ADHD core symptoms—inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—but there is evidence to suggest that it modulates anxiety. A 2020 review of research published in Biomolecules found that there are positive data from 17 randomized controlled trials and seven uncontrolled studies on CBD and anxiety.
And there is a strong link between ADHD and anxiety: 30% to 40% of those diagnosed with ADHD either are plagued by worry in specific situations (such as socializing with people or meeting a deadline) or are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The fact is: An ADHD diagnosis leads to self–doubt and stress.
More research is needed to further explore the anti-anxiety effects of CBD oil.
One of the biggest challenges for adults with ADHD is moving beyond their negative patterns of thinking about themselves. Research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can increase productivity and self-esteem.
CBT is a goal-oriented form of therapy that works to modify negative thinking. It enables people to change the way they feel about themselves, their abilities, and their future. The outcomes are often higher self-esteem, increased productivity, and happiness.
Coaching targets common ADHD challenges, such as time management, organization, goal setting, and prioritization—key life skills that medication and psychotherapy don’t address. Coaching helps a person diagnosed with ADHD build skills and take action. The coach works one-on-one with a client to implement and develop strategies to achieve goals when held back by the emotional dysfunction and self-doubt experienced by many with ADHD.
Just as ADHD symptoms can make it hard to stick to a healthy diet and exercise plan, poor lifestyle choices can worsen ADHD symptoms. Psychotherapy and coaching can help address ADHD symptoms as well as support implementing healthy lifestyle habits.
“The more tools (therapies) you can draw on, the better chance you have of managing your symptoms,” says Dr. Zylowska.
