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

1. The first category are 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 lipoid acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, serotonin, melatonin, etc. These are what your body survives on.

2. The second category include nutrients like zinc to boost immunity, alpha lipoicacid and acetyl-L-carnitine to boost mitochondria (cell’s power house) function, especially for someone on ketogenic diet or high fat diet.

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

In fact, many medicines we use today come from plant. Pharmaceutical companies just take the active compound out of the plant, tweak a couple 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 fine 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.

For replacing ADHD medications, this is the part you have to do some experimenting, but understanding what you’re doing and looking for will save you a ton of time and money.

I’m going to talk about the most common ADHD medication, methylphenidate, which is a stimulant that artificially boosts the dopamine level in the brain. Which means that you’ll need a supplement that can boost dopamine level too to replace it.

Chances are it’s difficult to get off your ADHD medication cold-turkey at this point. Besides, I would not stop the medication while you do this. Remember, you brain cannot function without the medication now. So you need to transition off the medication with help of your prescribing doctor.

Think of ADHD medications like the hijackers of airplane. It takes over your command center (your brain), that’s why the side effects are so miserable and you don’t feel like yourself, because YOU ARE NO LONGER in control.

After years of being on the ADHD medications, your brain may not know what to do when the medication is not there to artificially boost the dopamine level and other neurotransmitters.

This is same reason why many adults with ADHD become addicted to illegal drugs because ADHD medications and amphetamine are almost the same.

Your solution is to boost your brain’s own function naturally, meaning your brain needs to learn to make its own neurotransmitters with natural resources.

Think of it as rehab for your brain. It’s the same concept as “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.”

Your brain is the man. You want your brain to function on its’ own without relying on medication, right?

Remember, the normal human body makes dopamine. But in the ADHD brain, either the body is not making enough or there is not enough dopamine receptors to activate it or you’re eating food that is messing up the dopamine system (sugar and food additives)

So I’d would start with dopamine precursors, such as phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan so your body can start making some dopamine on its own. You can also eat a high protein diet to get these amino acids.

In addition to those, I’d add natural herbal stimulants, such as ginseng, coffee, guarana, rhodiola, ashwangdha, passionflower.

These are usually pretty safe for older children (6 and above) and adults.

Alpha lipoic acid boosts the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter related to memory creation and overall brain function. 

Alpha lipoic acid can boost energy production in the mitochondria by increases glucose uptake in brain cells. 

In a study in mice, it was found that administration of alpha-lipoic acid along with L-carnitiine for a two-week period was found to improve memory in mice. 

In another study for Alzheimer’s disease found that a daily intake of 600 mg lipoic acid slowed the progression of the disease.

The results of these studies is likely related to the combined benefit of alpha lipoic acid in stopping oxidative cellular damage and improving mitochondrial function.

Our body makes acetyl-L-carnitine from the amino acids, lysine and methionine. It is a semi-essential nutrient involved in transporting fatty acids into mitochondria. It is a special form of the nutrient L-carnitine that can pass through the high selective blood-brain barrier. 

Acetyl-L-carnitine is essential in energy production as it  has also led some to suggest it might work as an energy booster supplement as well. Acetyl-L-carnitine helps with energy production by pushing fatty acids into the mitochondrial inner membrane. It’s been shown to have brain protective properties and effects on brain metabolism.

Researches showed that acetyl-L-carnitine can enhance cognitive processes such as attention and alertness by reducing oxidative stress in the brain. Its antioxidative effects have been found to slow down the degeneration of neurons in aging and help in regenerating and repairing them.

Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 (for short) is an antioxidant that our body makes naturally. It is also found in many natural food we eat everyday. 

There are mainly two forms of CoQ10 – ubiquinol, the active antioxidant form, and ubiquinone, the oxidized form. 

Our body can covert ubiquinone into ubiquinol (active form). 

CoQ10 also has other names such as ubidecarenone, coenzyme Q, and eventually it is abbreviated to CoQ10.

It is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance that’s found mostly in the mitochondria, the body’s power station. It is part of the electron transport chain and participates in the aerobic cellular respiration to make energy in the form of ATP. 

Ninety-five percent of the human body’s energy is made this way. The mitochondria is like the engine in the car. If it stops working, the car is dead.  

You’ll find mitochondria in every single cell of the body because it is that important. And the organs that used the most energy, such as the brain, heart, liver and kidneys, have the highest numbers of mitochondria AND concentration of CoQ10.

The mitochondria powers all the biochemical reactions in every cells of your body. And the mitochondria cannot do its job properly without CoQ10.

Low levels of CoQ10 results in brain fog, slow mental processing, and cognitive decline.

Studies show that taking CoQ10 orally can increases brain mitochondrial concentrations. This shows that CoQ10 can protect degeneration of the brain cells due to aging. 

CoQ10 support energy production in the mitochondria, which helps protect brain degeneration. But supporting brain energy production, CoQ10 helps with neurotransmitters signaling and, thus, better memory, learning, and cognition.

This is one of the best ADHD supplements  on the market as it contains the acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, coQ10, N-acetylcholine and quercetine. 

This specific supplement is developed by a renowned University of California Berkeley professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. And it is marketed as an anti-aging supplement to slow progressive of cognitive and memory decline. 

S-adenosylmethionine or better known as SAMe for short, is a natural substance that our body makes naturally from the food that we eat. Our bodies make SAMe from methionine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods. 

SAMe is one of the best methyl donors that our body can have. Like other methyl donors, such as DMAE, folic acid and B12, S-adenosylmethionine is needed in the production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, melatonin, dopamine and adrenaline, which affect mood, energy, alertness, concentration, and visual clarity.

Caffeine found in coffee is a natural stimulants that acts similarly as many ADHD stimulants. It helps stimulate the frontal cortex to wake up the area that regulates attention. And that’s how caffeine and other stimulants work. 

Caffeine has been studied for ages as a potential treatment for ADHD. But its use as a “therapy” is not widespread because pharmaceutical companies cannot patent a natural substance to profit from. 

Interestingly, anecdotal evidence suggests that many people are already using caffeine to self-medicate themselves or their children. 

Many adults with ADHD symptoms are already using coffee daily to help them stay focus on task and get through the day. In fact, some can’t do without it.

As opposed to common notions that caffeine makes you hyper, many people find coffee to the calming and soothing. Some even become sleepy with coffee consumption. 

Related article: Best Bulletproof Coffee Recipe for ADHD

Ashwagandha is frequently referred to as “Indian ginseng” because of its rejuvenating and adaptogenic properties, even though botanically, ginseng and Ashwagandha are not related. It actually belongs to the same family as the tomato.

As an adaptogen, ashwagandha helps your body cope with stresses such as toxins in the environment, anxiety and insomnia.

Ashwagandha may also improve your focus and concentration. Many studies indicate that ashwagandha improves cognitive function, such as reaction times, mental mathematic abilities, and in sensorimotor roles.

Because ashwagandha has calming qualities, it’s best to take it before bedtime. Ashwagandha is typically ingested in capsule form. The typical recommended dose is 600 to 1,000 mg twice daily. 

For people who suffer from insomnia and anxiety, having a cup of hot milk mix with a teaspoon of powdered Ashwagandha before bedtime will help with sleep.

This ashwagandha supplement is for adrenal fatigue from excessive stress and anxiety. 

Ginseng is a very common herbs used in Asian countries. In fact, you can find ginseng anywhere in Asia.

Ginseng has many functions and benefits to our body and mind. First of all, it is an adaptogen, which means it helps the body adapt to stress by stimulating the immune system. There is also evidence that ginseng has anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties.

Ginseng doesn’t improve physical performance, but it also boosts your brainpower.

Ginseng, especially when used with Ginkgo biloba, is believed to improve focus and memory.

A recent study found that people who took 200 mg of the extract an hour before taking a cognitive test scored significantly better than when not taking the supplement. They also reported less mental fatigue with taking ginseng.

Ginsenoside, the active substance in ginseng, may help with some ADHD symptoms by boosting levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the key brain regions that are affiliated with ADHD, just like ADHD medication.

Ginkgo leaves contain substances that thin blood and improve muscle tone in the walls of blood vessels to enhance blood flow, especially to the brain. 

Ginkgo enhances the nervous system by increasing blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain, which helps to deliver nutrients to the brain. Ginkgo is also protects the brain against degeneration as a powerful antioxidant. 

Ginkgo helps to improve focus in the ADHD brain by inhibiting norepinephrine reuptake, similar to ADHD medications. 

When used in combination American ginseng, ginkgo leaf extract showed improvement in ADHD symptoms such as anxiety, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children.

This supplement helps with ADHD symptoms, such as focus and memory. It contains both panax ginseng and gingko biloba, and more even dosage of both. 

Rhodiola rosea, or Rhodiola for short, is actually a very popular herb used in Europe and Russia. If you have not heard of rhodiola, maybe you’ve heard of its other common names – Arctic root or golden root. 

People in Russia have been using rhodiola for years to treat fatigue, poor attention span, and poor memory.

Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb just like ginseng. As an adaptogen, it helps the body resists stress, both physically and emotionally, while maintaining normal biological functions. 

Besides its beneficial effects on emotional health, rhodiola is also a great enhancer for mental performance. It has been shown to improve concentration, focus and memory, and reducing symptoms of fatigue. 

Pilot studies on human subjects show that it improves physical performance, and reduce symptoms of fatigue, stress, and damaging effects of oxygen deprivation.

These are two of my favorite ADHD brain boosters supplements to help you started to get off ADHD medications:

Juvenon Pro Cognitive by Douglas Laboratories contains a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, and alpha-GPC and Dopa-Plus by Pure Encapsulation, which supports your brain’s own production of dopamine to promote calm and focus.

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 could not read or write when she was little with the 4 steps I laid out in the Eat to Focus book. She’s now a merit scholarship student studying premed in Loyola Chicago University.

So stay strong and keep believing in your child.

Check out the Eat to Focus book to learn about my story and the 4 steps that I used to transform my daughter and help her reach her full potential. This information may change your child’s future.

Download your free gift before you leave. I have put together 15 clean and brain-nourishing school day breakfast ideas for you. I don’t like to spend my life in the kitchen either, so I make sure these are super simple and quick recipes, and some you can even prepare the night before. Knowing your child goes to school fully prepared and well-fed is satisfying.

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