1. To correct a nutrient deficiency
2. To boost a function
3. To correct a defective or weak biochemical pathway

1. The first category is mostly your essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that the human body needs. Things like vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and K, magnesium, zinc, iron, alpha lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, serotonin, melatonin, etc. These are what your body survives on.

2. The second category includes nutrients like zinc to boost immunity, alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine to boost mitochondria (cell’s powerhouse) function, especially for someone on a ketogenic diet or high-fat diet; or tyrosine to boost dopamine production.

3. The third category is where all the other herbal supplements and anything else belongs. The body does not have an essential need for these herbal supplements, but they function as medicines to treat something. MTHFR falls in this category. 

In fact, many medicines we use today come from plants. Pharmaceutical companies just take the active compound out of the plant, tweak a couple of molecules and make them super powerful, put a patent on and they can bank for 10 years on the “new drug”.

That’s why herbal supplements can be quite dangerous if not used properly.

The regular herbs and spices we use for cooking are safe because the amount we used in cooking is so little.

But when these are ground up and stuffed into a pill form or tincture, these can become powerful medicine in a concentrated form.

1. Your diet is not dialed in. This is like taking an antidote while eating poison together every day. You can’t be eating processed junk food every day while taking a couple of supplements and expect miracles and transformation. 
2. Wrong dose. The problem is usually “not enough.” It’s like exercise. We all know exercise is good for everyone. But if you only exercise once a year, don’t complain that exercise does not work for you. I call it the “Sprinkle Dilemma.” Like most multivitamin, there’s many vitamins and minerals in one pill, but it’s a just a sprinkle amount. A dose higher than the Daily Recommended Intake (DRI) is needed to correct deficiencies. 
3. Wrong supplements. Again, there are many underlying causes of ADHD. If you don’t have a deficiency in vitamin D and/or iron, taking vitamin D or iron would do nothing. And in fact, taking too much vitamin D and/or iron can be harmful. Or if you take some random expensive supplements that claim to be for kids with ADHD. 
4. Stop too soon. Many people don’t give the supplements enough to work. I see this all the time, especially with probiotics. Parents or adults stop probiotics at the first sign of stomach pain, diarrhea, or constipation. The truth is if the probiotics are causing something to happen, it is working. It’s just like remodeling your home, things have to get messy before the desired outcomes. 

The truth is treating ADHD naturally should be taken as seriously as starting ADHD medication, especially when your child has other medical conditions. Just because it’s natural does not mean it is completely safe. Like my sarcastic pharmacist intern always remind us, “Cyanide is natural too. Are you going to take it?”

It’s your child’s life and future. What is it worth to you?

Ok, there you have it…

I hope you find this information helpful. Let me know what you think and comment below. 

Remember ADHD does not doom your child to a life of under-achievement. You know your child is bright, full of potential, and deserves the best. In fact, many of the world’s greatest discoveries and inventions were made by people with ADHD.

I helped my crazy wild child who couldn’t read or write when she was little overcome her learning difficulties, and become a merit scholarship student majoring in premed at Loyola Chicago University.

So don’t give up, everything is possible. 

If you’re just starting out on this natural ADHD treatment journey and still in the research phase, check out my new book Eat to Focus.

Inside this book, you’ll learn why your ADHD child is always hungry, why he or she seems addicted to milk and bread, the reason why most ADHD treatments do not work, and the exact four strategies I’ve used for my daughter to help her calm down to focus and finally learn normally.