TweetFeed your brain. This is one of the most important things that you can do to improve attention, focus, and memory. In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to miss that the instant grab-and-go, high calorie, nutrient poor foods, fail to feed our brains well. Feeding the brain at all stages of life is essential for mood, memory and focus. Children and adolescents, in particular, have intense needs as their bodies and brains develop. When this fails, one of the consequences is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is recognized as the most common neuropsychiatric disorder in children. The number of children struggling with ADHD is increasing and is estimated to affect 11 percent of children between 4 and 17 years of age in the United States. While the focus is often on children with ADHD, adults struggle with these concerns too. Genetics do influence ADHD. However, researchers believe that environmental factors play a far more significant role in the increased number of children (and adults) with ADHD. One of those environmental factors is nutritional status. Key nutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, and iodine can make the difference between ADHD and health.
Behavioral changes are often the first sign of nutritional deficiency and inflammation. The little changes in moodiness, focus, poor attention, fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, depression or anxiety are present before a full blown disorder occurs. These behaviors are often chalked up to stress, personality quirks, “the genes”, or a situation. Rather, often these behaviors reflect that the brain is starting to run out of gas and the nervous system is struggling. The buffer zone is lost and there is an inability to deal with demands or stress.
Indeed, researchers are seeing that ADHD and other complex disorders like autism spectrum disorders are associated with many changes associated with nutritional challenges and insufficiency. Knowing how full you or your child’s nutritional bucket is can help stave off the growing problems of ADHD or other neurological challenges.
Foods That Help or Hurt

The first place to start with “feeding the brain” is the diet. The American Diet is a pro-inflammatory diet. It is high in omega-6 fats (vegetable or plant-based oils), sugar, and salt. School cafeteria foods are heavily ladened with these ingredients. Unfortunately, oftentimes even when schools offer healthier choices, kids focus on their favorites – chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, corn dogs, sugared beverages with little to no fresh fruit or vegetable intake. This daily intake creates inflammation. While the food is filling and high in calories, it is nutrient poor. Not only are key nutrients missing from the diet, it causes the pro-inflammatory compounds TH17 cells, cytokines, and IL-10 to be released in the brain.
Without the benefit of the antioxidants, good fats, vitamins and minerals from a diet rich in high quality grass fed meats, non-GMO foods, organic fruits and vegetables, and whole complex grains with good fiber, the brain has a much harder time buffering the pro-inflammatory foods or other environmental or behavioral challenges. The essential nutrients are just gone.
Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are associated with many neurological symptoms and disorders including ADD/ADHD. Several studies from the 1950’s to present have commented on gluten affecting brain function and behavior. It has been found that adhering to a gluten-free dietcan improve ADHD symptoms significantly within a few months. Other dietary challenges may occur with preservatives, food colorings, artificial sweeteners, high fructose or sucrose diet causing inflammatory response.
Nutrients that Feed the Brain

Zinc, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin D, iodine and omega-3 fish oils are some of most studied nutrients for attention deficit disorders. Without adequate intake of any one or all of these nutrients, problems with concentration, focus, mood, and behavior occur.
The mineral zinc is essential for growth, function and structure of the brain. It is also essential for neurotransmitter metabolism, hormones, brain plasticity, learning, and memory, and immune system function. Lack of zinc compromises dopamine production and nerve pathways. Zinc deficiency affects not only children, but adults too. Loss of smell and taste, white spots on the nails, frequent colds and infections, and increased problems with body odor are common signs that zinc is lacking. It is estimated that 12 - 66 percent of the world’s population is at risk for zinc deficiency.
Foods highest in zinc are oysters and other shellfish. Organic, grass-fed beef is estimated to contain one milligram of zinc per ounce. Sesame and pumpkin seeds, quinoa, oats, lentils, garbanzo beans, lamb, and mushrooms are other good sources of zinc but provide around 10 - 25 percent or less of the daily recommended intake (RDA) of zinc. The standard cafeteria diet won’t come close to providing enough zinc. When was the last time you or your child had a meal that supplied ample amounts of zinc? What about on a daily basis? One of the sayings in clinical nutrition, is “Feet stink - need zinc.” Replenishment of zinc status in your growing child may help not only their stinky feet, but help focus and studies improve too.
One research study evaluated 58 children age 5-15 years with ADHD. The children were classified as inattentive/poor focus or hyperactive or both. In this 2011 study, the children who were hyperactive were found to have substantially lower levels of zinc, iron, and magnesium. Children who were inattentive had lower levels of zinc and iron. In the test group of children who were both inattentive and hyperactive, they lacked magnesium and zinc.
ADHD researchers have recommend measurement of iron and serum ferritin levels. Scientists have found that children who have a serum ferritin less than 45 microg/l had significant problems with sleep disorders and abnormal sleep movements. If you find that your child (or you) has kicked, punched, or flailed in their sleep, or their bed looks like a tornado went through it in the morning, get their serum ferritin and iron levels checked. Lack of iron worsens sleep disorders and ADHD. Iron is also required for the production of the neurotransmitter, dopamine. It is essential for growth, mitochondria, and oxygenation of the body.
Magnesium is one of the most needed minerals by the body and is used in hundreds of processes. It is vital for the use of glucose, energy production and fatty acid metabolism. Without magnesium to help the body and brain, fatigue, poor focus, memory, irritability, poor sleep, restlessness, blood sugar problems, and poor stress tolerance occur. Magnesium buffers excitatory neurotransmitters, like glutamate and buffers against the effect of the food additive MSG.
Several studies have found magnesium to be low in children with ADHD as measured by a more sophisticated test of magnesium status. The RBC (red blood cell) magnesium level provides much better insight into magnesium stores and availability than the serum magnesium on a standard blood chemistry panel. It was found that when children with ADHD were given 200 mg of magnesium per day there was a significant decrease in hyperactivity and distraction.
The magnesium RDA for children is 240 mg per day. Adolescents need 410 mg per day to meet the RDA. Women and men respectively need 310-400 mg per day for the RDA. RDA measurements do not take into consideration gut health, gene defects like methylation difficulties, stress, and medication depletions. Foods highest in magnesium are dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, turnip greens, whole grains like quinoa and buckwheat, legumes like black and pinto beans, and seeds and nuts. These foods provide about 100 mg per serving.
Magnesium supplement quality varies considerably on the market. Low quality forms of magnesium like magnesium oxide, magnesium chelates, and magnesium carbonate are hard to absorb and cause the body to work harder to use the magnesium. High quality magnesium like magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, and coral magnesium provide excellent absorption rates and are immediately usable by the body. We have often seen magnesium in these forms start working within 15-30 minutes to help calm down stress behavior.
Omega-3 Oils and ADHD

No discussion on the fundamentals for ADHD or other brain stress symptoms would be complete without a focus on the omega-3 oils. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers know that the omega-3 oils, especially DHA fish oil, are critical to the baby’s brain development. Infant formulas must have DHA added to them to comply with nutritional requirements, but what about children and adults? If you or your child rarely eat omega-3 rich foods like tuna, salmon, herring, sardines, flaxseeds, or chia seeds, but the diet consists of conventional mass produced chicken, hamburgers, processed foods and a lot of vegetable oils, DHA is going to be severely lacking. These omega-3 good fats are essential. That means they must be obtained on a regular basis in the diet. What you ate five years or five weeks ago has been used up. Lunch bags with peanut butter sandwiches or sandwich meat will not provide this essential fat.
Insufficient omega-3 oils are linked with the development of ADHD. Nerves fail to function without these essential oils. The communication between nerves is compromised and brain inflammation increases when there is insufficient omega-3 intake. Far too much omega-6 oils are present (canola, corn, soybean, peanut, and vegetable) which promotes inflammation causing more oxidative stress to the brain. Intake of omega-3 DHA is essential at all ages.
The omega-3 oil DHA is the preferred type of fish oil for protecting and nourishing the brain. When supplementing fish oil, higher DHA is needed than EPA to help nerves and cells membranes do their job. Fish oil is highly sensitive to heavy metal contamination, solvents, and free radicals. Wellness Resources supplements provide the natural triglyceride form of DHA, free of mercury or other contaminations, and with therapeutic amounts of DHA.
Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 insufficiency plays a profound role in ADHD development and lack of focus. If vitamin B6 is lacking, fats including DHA will not be metabolized properly and oxygenation to tissues and nerve communication is compromised. An adequate amount of B6 is essential to healthy neurotransmitter function with serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and GABA.
Researchers feel that vitamin B6 deficiency is at the core of ADHD disorders and even other concerns like seizure disorders. One group found that ongoing, multiple year vitamin B6 treatment completely normalized ADHD behavior with no serious side effects.
Tuna, turkey, beef, chicken, spinach, salmon, sweet potatoes, bananas, and sunflower seeds contain good sources of B6 but at a dose that provides only 20 - 50 percent of the recommended dietary intake per serving. Clinically therapeutic doses of vitamin B6 are often 10 - 200 times above the basic RDA. When supplementing vitamin B6, avoid the low quality, synthetic form of vitamin B6 called pyridoxine HCl. The active, coenyzme form is pyridoxal 5’-phosphate. This is the preferred form of vitamin B6 as it bypasses methylation defects and is non-toxic.
Vitamin D and Iodine

Vitamin D and iodine insufficiency have also been implicated with the ADHD development or worsening of the disorder. Recent research has found correlation with children with low vitamin D levels and ADHD. Children with ADHD had vitamin D levels measured on average at 16 ng/ml. Those who did not have ADHD had vitamin D levels on average at 23 or higher. Neither of these lab values is optimal for vitamin D, but it does demonstrate just how important even small differences are with nutritional status and health. Optimal vitamin D levels are between 50-80ng/ml.
Iodine deficiency in prenatal health has detrimental consequences on brain development. Lack of iodine in childhood impacts neurological development compromising cognitive performance and coordination. Even a mild iodine deficiency can impact focus and learning. Numerous compounds in our diet and environment compete against iodine making iodine deficiency even more prevalent than ever before.
Nutrients and Dopamine

The combination of zinc, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, and iodine is fundamental to the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Vitamin D and DHA fish oil are essential for hormone and neurotransmitter communication and function. They are also essential for managing brain inflammation. Together, these nutrients provide support for dopamine and brain health. Dopamine insufficiency manifests as flat, bored, apathetic, low enthusiasm, depression, poor motivation, inability to complete tasks, difficulty paying attention and concentrating, slow thinking, and craving uppers like caffeine, nicotine, or prone to addiction. In other words, anyone lacking these nutrients is going to have impaired dopamine function and struggle with attention, focus, detail, memory, and learning.
Keeping the brain healthy and fed is a lifelong investment. Fetal development and infancy are certainly critical, but what about the choices for children, adolescents and adults in feeding the brain. The nutrition still has to be there. If it isn’t obtained through the diet, behavior, mood, energy, and cognitive skills are the first to suffer. ADHD is not deficit of Ritalin or other stimulants; it is a deficit of nutrition present with high levels of inflammation. Have you fed your brain lately?


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Tweeti need a solution! Cocaine seemed to work great...seemed. Now that I'm healthy tho, gonna try to add magnesium first. Preworkouts just don't cut it for me as many of them have fillers that make me feel ill. Great info, thanks for sharing