What to eat if you’ve got ADHD

Research suggests diet can play a role in managing symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. If you’re living with ADHD, here’s some food for thought about what to put on your plate.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition most effectively managed through a combination of different treatments including medication, psychotherapy and time management training.

But lately the effect of nutrition on ADHD symptoms has also been under the microscope – with some promising outcomes. For example, a 2022 study showed that eating more fruit and vegetables reduced inattention issues for children with ADHD.

But ADHD doesn’t just affect children. More than three out of four children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to have symptoms in later life, meanwhile some people aren’t diagnosed until adulthood. In fact in recent years, growing awareness around ADHD has seen adult diagnoses shoot up by more than 100 per cent in some countries. So in addition to conventional treatment, can dietary choices help adults living with ADHD, too?

6 dietary tweaks to consider making

Generally speaking, a diet that delivers good nutrition is considered important if you have ADHD, but bear in mind the following tips:

1 Don’t skip breakfast

Research shows that eating a well-balanced breakfast can help to improve cognitive function in young adults living with ADHD. Plus, it’s a chance to start the day with a nutrient-rich meal before the appetite-supressing side effects of some ADHD medications kick in.

2 Make protein a priority

Fresh research is currently being conducted at King’s College London to examine the effects of a dietary protein called tryptophan (found in milk, tuna and chicken) on ADHD in adults, due to the role tryptophan plays in producing the neurotransmitter, serotonin. A brain chemical that’s a natural mood stabiliser, serotonin helps you think and regulates sleep, but levels are reduced in people with ADHD. There’s also some evidence that suggests eating protein-rich foods like eggs, yoghurt, fish or legumes at breakfast may help to improve the effectiveness of some ADHD medications.

3 Eat plenty of fish

And take care to include oily types, like sardines, salmon and some varieties of canned tuna, which are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient that people living with ADHD are often lacking in. Omega-3s play a key role in brain health, including the production of dopamine, a neurochemical linked with reward and pleasure that ‘ADHD brains’ naturally have lower levels of.

4 Drinking coffee may help

Several studies have suggested that, because it’s a stimulant that increases dopamine levels, caffeine may help to reduce some ADHD symptoms. Stimulant medications, which are the most common and effective ADHD medications, also work by improving the availability of certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine, in regions of the brain involved with attention, impulse control and behaviour inhibition.

5 Snack on walnuts

The results of a study published earlier this year showed that people who ate 30g of walnuts a day for six months enjoyed an improvement in attention and other ADHD symptoms. Walnuts are a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in plants.

Can avoiding certain foods help with ADHD?

Whether things like sugar or artificial additives make ADHD symptoms worse has also been the subject of research and results are mixed. For example, while some studies have indicated a link between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and an increase in ADHD symptoms, overall, the findings aren’t conclusive.

It’s a similar story with artificial additives. While a 2022 study showed that consuming artificial food colouring had a negative impact on some symptoms of ADHD, according to an earlier review of several different studies, the link was weak.

Interestingly, people living with ADHD are more at risk of something called alcohol use disorder, and separate research suggests drinking alcohol makes some ADHD symptoms worse.

What about supplements?

Fish oil supplement to increase omega-3 levels may help to improve symptoms. People with ADHD are also more likely to be deficient in magnesium and zinc, which are important for helping the brain function at its best, so supplementing these micronutrients may be helpful.

Other research suggests taking a broad spectrum supplement, rather than one or two specific ones, can have a positive effect on ADHD symptoms, helping to improve attention as well as emotional regulation.

Further investigation is needed to identify and clarify the role gut health plays in ADHD. The use of probiotic supplements to help manage symptoms has been studied, but one of the most recent trials failed to show a significant benefit.

Ask a health professional for advice when considering dietary supplements.

Can diet trigger ADHD?

The exact causes of ADHD aren’t known, but it’s thought that genetics and environmental factors both play a role. Wondering whether diet can contribute? While there’s no evidence linking sugar intake to an increased risk of ADHD, some research does suggest that a Western diet, rich in fast foods, processed meats and high-fat dairy foods as well as sugary ones, may be associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD. On the other hand, eating a Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower risk of ADHD.