What’s the Connection Between Diet and ADHD?

Most of us know that eating well can help us live healthier and happier lives. But can a healthy diet decrease your child’s chances of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Or, can it help decrease your symptoms if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to hyperactivity, impulsivity, and problems with attention. For decades, researchers and parents have wondered if certain diets and supplements might be able to treat ADHD and its symptoms. Read below to find out the latest evidence about how the foods we eat are connected to the risk of ADHD. 

Can too much sugar lead to ADHD? 

There is no hard evidence that sugar causes ADHD. Despite the popular belief that sugar causes hyperactivity, the science simply doesn’t back this up. 

ADHD is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. There is no definitive scientific evidence to suggest it is caused by sugar. But research does show that children who eat a high-sugar diet are more likely to have ADHD symptoms. Why this is, no one really yet knows. It’s possible that children with ADHD have less self-regulation so they seek out sugar more often. It’s also possible that sugar itself plays a role in the development of ADHD that just hasn’t been proven yet. 

Since sugar has plenty of other harmful effects on health, it is always best to reduce sugar intake whether you have ADHD or not. 

How do saturated fats play a role in ADHD?

The latest evidence suggests that a diet high in saturated fat can increase your chances of having ADHD. Eating a more Western-style diet with processed food and saturated fat has been found in some studies to double the odds of having ADHD. To try to tease out the cause and effect with this association, scientists have used animal studies to shed light on the link. It turned out that rats randomly assigned to be fed a Western diet developed more hyperactivity and impulsivity after 10 weeks than the rats who received their usual diet. This seems to provide evidence that diet itself could be contributing to ADHD symptoms.  

A diet of many fruits and vegetables seems protective against ADHD or hyperactivity

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to lower the odds of having ADHD in children and adolescents. A recent meta-analysis studied over 8,000 people and looked at six different dietary patterns and found that a “healthy” diet of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish decreased the odds of ADHD by 37%. 

The Mediterranean diet is a style of eating that emphasizes whole grains, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Processed foods are limited. If you want to adopt a diet more in line with the Mediterranean diet, here are some ways you can do so: 

• Eat vegetables and/or fruit with every meal. 

• Eat more fish and less meat — aim for 2-3 servings/week of fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel. 

• Swap your white bread for whole grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, and whole oats.

• Get your fat from “healthy fats” such as olive oil, nuts, and avocado.

• Eat legumes 3x/week — this includes chickpeas, lentils, beans, and peas.

• Drink water instead of sodas or juice.

Can I use diet to treat my child with ADHD? 

Even though it’s been shown that a healthy diet can decrease your odds of having ADHD, there isn’t clear evidence that diet can be used to treat ADHD. This is probably because most studies that look at diet as a way to treat ADHD haven’t focused on interventions that focus on a “whole-food” approach such as shifting to a Mediterranean diet. Most dietary interventions have focused on either elimination diets or vitamin supplementation.

Eating a healthier diet can be an important part of the treatment plan. There are not enough studies looking at the effect of dietary interventions for treatment of ADHD. One study looking at children with ADHD who were already being treated with medication found that instructing children on a healthier diet improved attention more than treatment with medication alone. More studies are needed to find out if and how effective dietary changes can be for ADHD treatment.

What is an elimination diet and does it work to treat ADHD?

In the 1970s, the Feingold elimination diet became popular. Parents were instructed to eliminate any food with added sugars, dyes, or even certain fruits and vegetables that were thought to contain items that could be triggers for allergies. After a period of strict elimination, parents would reintroduce foods one at a time to see what specific foods might be triggering ADHD symptoms. This elimination diet is very time-intensive and labor-intensive for parents and families. While some families have found it useful, studies have not found any evidence that it helps. 

Is there a link between artificial dyes and ADHD?

The possible link between ADHD and artificial dyes has been studied for decades. Artificial dyes have been linked to ADHD symptoms. While some studies suggest that those who are diagnosed with hyperactivity are especially sensitive to the effects of artificial dyes, others show that children with and without ADHD seem to develop a small increase in hyperactivity with exposure to artificial dyes, so it’s best to avoid them whenever possible. 

Are there vitamins that can help reduce symptoms of ADHD?

The research is mixed about whether vitamins can help reduce symptoms of ADHD, but here are the top contenders being studied:

• Omega-3-fatty acids: Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to lead to a small but significant improvement in ADHD symptoms. 

• Zinc: Zinc is an important vitamin for optimal brain health and shows promise as a possible effective supplement to help reduce symptoms of ADHD.

• Vitamin D: Supplementing with vitamin D has been shown to reduce some ADHD symptoms, such as inattention. This effect is most significant in children who are vitamin D deficient.

• Iron: Iron is important for neurocognitive growth. Iron deficiency is associated with ADHD symptoms, so, if you are deficient, it’s important to take iron supplements.

• Combination vitamins: It’s possible that the best approach with vitamins is to take a combination of micronutrients targeted to help with ADHD symptoms. Some studies have shown significant improvement of ADHD symptoms in adults and children using a combination of micronutrients. 

If you have been diagnosed with ADHD, you may want to discuss with your healthcare provider whether you may benefit from supplementation with some of the vitamins above.

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Written by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

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