Parents are often reluctant to put their children on medications to treat ADHD. At times, this leads to the use of nutritional supplements that are ineffective in the treatment of this disorder.While researching this topic, I discovered supplements such as St. John’s Wort, carnitine, and Gingko Biloba either were ineffective or had minimal evidence to support their use in the treatment of ADHD.
These substances may also produce unwanted side effects.
Zinc can be useful when a deficiency exists, but this is rare in the United States. There have been studies in Israel, Turkey, and Poland demonstrating lower zinc levels in children diagnosed with ADHD.
Correcting this deficiency of zinc can improve ADHD symptoms.
Magnesium supplementation has been tried, but no randomized, placebo-controlled trials are available to support its use.
Iron supplementation has shown to be effective in one small study.
Pycnogenol has also shown positive results although more studies are needed to confirm its benefits in the treatment of ADHD.
The most robust evidence available at this time is for omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in the treatment of ADHD and melatonin for sleep-onset insomnia.
The Omega-3 fatty acids are still not as effective as traditional ADHD medications, but they may be beneficial in those with mild symptoms.
Melatonin is always my first recommendation for patients of all ages for insomnia.
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