Nurturing Focus: A Functional Nutrition Approach to Understanding and Managing ADHD
- Elizabeth Priest
- May 1
- 7 min read
Do you have concerns about your child's ability to stay focused? Do you have a child struggling with schoolwork? Do you have a child that has been diagnosed with ADHD?
What's next? The conventional route often involves medication, and while that can be helpful for some, it's not the complete answer. Have you considered that there might be other factors at play?
What if the answer to managing ADHD symptoms went beyond taking medication and understanding the root causes? Understanding the complexity of ADHD can bring a sense of relief and hope, knowing that there are multifaceted approaches to managing it.
What is ADHD?
ADHD can feel like the world is full of distractions, making it challenging for individuals to pay attention, manage words and actions, and control movement and activity throughout the day. It can also make long-term planning and task completion difficult. But what's going on in the brain is actually a lot more complicated. ADHD is a disorder that affects the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning. As a result, people with ADHD may experience issues with concentration, planning, completing tasks that require high attention, and controlling behavior. This complexity can often make children and parents feel overwhelmed and alone.
Symptoms can include:
Trouble listening
Inability to sit still
Lack of organizational skills
Anxiety
Restlessness
Mood swings
Insomnia
Anger management problems
Difficulty staying focused
The conversation around ADHD and ADD often begins within public school systems. Teachers may observe behaviors and patterns that suggest these conditions and subsequently recommend that parents seek a formal diagnosis from a psychologist. Having experienced this personally, I find it challenging to remain silent. As a functional nutrition practitioner, I believe we should consider the expertise of educators in identifying potential concerns while also recognizing that they may not have the specialized training to fully understand the implications of a diagnosis, medication options, or the positive impact that diet and lifestyle modifications can have on children's behavior and academic performance. I wish more educators would recommend that parents work with a functional nutritionist to address ADHD holistically as the norm. But when you realize public schools actually get money for each student with an ADHD diagnosis, I suppose it makes sense.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD diagnoses jumped by 41 percent (1) between 2003 and 2011, and in 2016, more than 9 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 17—more than 6 million children in total—were diagnosed with ADHD- these stats are alarming, and they continue to increase. Many children who are diagnosed with ADHD will continue to experience symptoms into adulthood.
A conventional medical approach to ADHD, anxiety, and other brain-related typically involves medications. The medications for ADHD can help manage symptoms by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine to improve attention and reduce impulsivity and hyperactivity. The most commonly prescribed are methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine (Adderall). Sure, maybe medication provides relief and has helped many children get through school with better grades. But, these drugs come with many side effects, including trouble sleeping, depression, and mood swings, and are hard to go off of. Taking medication to manage ADHD symptoms for a lifetime is not a great option, and in my opinion, lazy doctoring.
A bigger concern with prescribing these drugs is they don't get to the root cause of why the symptoms started in the first place, which often begins with diet, lifestyle, and environment. This leads to another topic of discussion: what many children eat these days is not only less than ideal for nutrition but often flat-out toxic.
So, many people ask, "How can I help my ADHD child without medication?" It is important to know that there are natural treatment options for ADHD before resorting to medicating your child (or yourself). This is where a functional nutrition/ medicine approach to get to the root cause can help, empowering you to take a proactive role in managing ADHD.
So, what does a functional approach to ADHD include?
In combination with working with your children's school to help put a plan such as an IEP plan in place, and maybe a child counselor that can help with techniques that engage different processing, improve coordination, timing, and cognition that help with neuroplasticity connections, a functional nutrition approach supports whole-brain connectivity and development.
Functional nutrition/ medicine seeks not just to label symptoms but to unearth the underlying causes. The goal is to learn what underlying and often overlooked factors contribute to ADHD, which is generally the result of a combination of genetic, neurological, environmental, nutrient, lifestyle, and factors that vary from one person to another. A functional nutrition approach can help identify these factors and develop a personalized plan to address them, potentially reducing the need for medication.
We often need to explore a myriad of factors that could contribute to the manifestation of ADHD, from nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances to the total toxin load on the body, including heavy metals, glyphosate, atrazine, and other environmental chemicals to comprehensive gut testing and food sensitivities. These comprehensive lab tests, which can include blood tests, urine tests, stool tests, and even nasal cavity tests, often reveal many pieces to the puzzle and provide a clearer understanding of why ADHD symptoms are present. We can then target and address the findings in the lab results naturally (and effectively) to avoid a lifetime of ongoing and sometimes debilitating symptoms.
In the arena of health, there are some starting points to help with ADHD:
Eat a clean, nutrient-dense diet: Eating a clean diet is one of the best natural remedies for ADHD. I love a Paleo diet as a foundational starting point for almost everyone because it removes many processed foods containing artificial sweeteners, chemicals, food dyes, and other ingredients contributing to our 'total toxin load.' This load, which includes exposure to heavy metals, glyphosate, atrazine, and other environmental chemicals, can exacerbate ADHD symptoms.
A Paleo diet prioritizes regeneratively raised animal-based protein and fats and organically grown fruits and vegetables. Did you know that consuming 50 milligrams a day has been shown to increase hyperactivity? Many of our children and adults more than hit that limit each day. While this has long been on most functional nutrition practitioners' radar, RFK has recently brought the concern of dyes in our foods to the attention of the masses.
Prioritize protein and healthy fats: The brain requires specific nutrients to produce essential chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine, which are made from amino acids that come from animal protein from our food. Consuming enough protein (especially at breakfast) can help with concentration. A good goal is 25-30 grams of protein at each meal ≈ , 90 grams daily. Also, think about what the brain is mainly made of, fat. Include plenty of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in your diet (healthy animal foods), and reduce omega-6 intake by avoiding vegetable oils and reducing the consumption of nuts and seeds. In some cases, a Ketogenic diet can be beneficial for brain health and ADHD symptoms.
Reduce inflammation/ neuro-inflammation
Optimize digestive function and gut health, including gut inflammation, intestinal barrier, the microbiome, and transit time.
Ensure proper drainage (pee, poo, sweat, lymph) and optimize liver detoxification capacity.
Supplement nutrient deficiencies
Magnesium threonate can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and has a calming effect on the brain, which may help support focus and attention.
Zinc and Iron: Minerals like iron and zinc are essential for our brain health. Iron is the most abundant mineral in the body, mainly known for its role in red blood cells, where it helps carry oxygen. However, it also plays a crucial part in the brain by helping produce essential neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. A lack of iron can lead to problems with concentration. Zinc is the second most common mineral in the body. It helps regulate a protein called the dopamine transporter, responsible for recycling dopamine in the brain. Zinc slows down this transporter, allowing dopamine to stay active in the space between brain cells longer. These minerals are found in large amounts in animal-based foods.
Optimize Vitamin D status and B Vitamins (6, 9, 12)
Omega-3 fatty acids: Nearly two-thirds of the brain is fat; including omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, particularly DHA, keeps brain cell membranes flexible for effective communication. While there are three types of omega-3s (ALA, EPA, and DHA), the body struggles to convert ALA to DHA, making direct consumption of EPA and DHA necessary.
Other supplements to consider
L-theanine and phosphatidylserine may help alleviate ADHD symptoms by promoting relaxation, improving focus, and enhancing cognitive function.
Peptides such as Selank, Semax, Cerbrolysin, BPC-157, DSIP, and Oxytocin can be extremely helpful in supporting neuroinflammation, learning and memory, balancing mood, and reducing anxiety.
Curcumin, found in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help reduce inflammation in the body and brain, potentially offering benefits for individuals with ADHD by improving focus and overall brain health.
Consider genetic SNPs: Genetic SNPs can affect our mood and behavior. It is important to note that the genetic SNPs most often tested do not control our health; they influence our health, mood, detox capacity, etc. And they are highly influenced by epigenetics. Through our diet, lifestyle, and environment, we can dial up genetic tendencies or dial down genetic tendencies. Some genetic SNPs we can test for, such as MTHFR, COMT, MAOA, BHMT, and more, affect our ability to manufacture and balance chemicals in the brain that are necessary to manage mood, anxiety, depression, addiction, and related behaviors.
Reduce daily blue light exposure and screen time.
Play outside in nature and get sun exposure from morning and/or early evening.
Get adequate amounts of sleep.
Discover The Underlying Contributors of Your (Or Your Child's) ADHD
Since every person's health case is unique, what works for one person won't always work for the next. That's why working with a qualified practitioner is important to help identify any underlying health problems you or your child might have that could factor into symptoms and overall health profile.
When you work with me, we dive into underlying factors that might be contributing to ADHD symptoms, and I will help formulate a personalized diet and protocol plan that works best for your (or your child's) individual needs.
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