Herbs, Vitamins, and ADHD

Jump to:

The entire subject of diet, nutrition, vitamins, herbs and supplements that could be useful in managing ADHD symptoms is huge. It could fill a book. OK, it did fill a book – mine – and because I’m a little bit lazy today (it’s been a busy one), I’m going to give you a couple of pages from my book, The Natural ADHD Diet.

It starts with an overview of herbs and supplements.

Calming
Chamomile – very mild, available in tea form as well as capsules

Lemon balm – a little more effective than chamomile, especially when the leaves
from the plant are used. You can control it’s effectiveness by brewing a tea and
adding more or less leaves. Pleasant lemony flavor. A member of the mint
family, extremely easy to grow.

Horehound, borage, lavender, and red clover are all gentle calming agents.

Mug wort, St. Johns Wort, mother wort, skullcap, and vervain are slightly stronger
calming agents. These are usually available as tinctures.

Valerian and passion flower are very strong calming agents. I usually use these
when I need help sleeping. Be warned that Valerian has a very nasty smell. I hold
my nose when I take it.

Note: extreme hyperactivity may require more than the use of an herb or two. As the child gets older,
they can learn to control themselves more. Meditation can also help.

Attention and focus

Ginkgo to help both short and long term memory, as well as neural transmitters.

Goto Kola is another choice for memory and brain function.

Reishi Mushroom is an herb that has been suggested especially for AD/HD, and
the way that the ADD mind works. It may be a little difficult to find.

Kava kava really belongs in both the attention and calming categories. Kava kava
calms internal thoughts and worries and allows the brain to do what it needs. It
would be very useful, for instance, for someone who has test anxiety.

In addition to using herbs for help with Attention Deficit Disorder, there are certain
supplements that you should add in order to maximize brain function. Here are some
suggestions:

Omega 3 fish oil, in addition to supporting heart health, also works to support
your brain and central nervous system. There are lots of choices out there; choose
a high quality product and take it at night before you go to bed. (There’s less
chance of tasting fish all day that way.)

L-Glutamine and L-Glycine both support neural transmission in the brain.

Vitamin B-12 maintains the nervous system. If you eat a healthy diet, you may be
getting enough. Otherwise, a good multi-vitamin should provide you with your
daily requirements.

I’ve got lots more to say. Stay tuned!

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

Read More
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

7 Responses

  1. This is super helpful, as I’m still exploring ALTERNATIVE solutions! i.e. I’m not keen on Ritalin & am wanting to try EVERYTHING else before I resort to it.

    Thanks!

  2. Pingback: Implement Seo
  3. Pingback: natural vitamins