In the year 2015, in the publication Biological Psychology, there was a new hypothesis…the idea that those with ADHD might have low dopamine.
This led to a great deal of research to be conducted regarding people with ADHD and dopamine. It turns out that if dopamine levels are too low in certain circuits in the brain, it leads to unnecessary firing in neurons in the brain that are unrelated to the task that one is trying to do and that is unrelated to the information that one is trying to focus on.
When dopamine is low, certain neurons are firing when they shouldn’t be. When dopamine is too low, neurons fire more than they should in these networks that govern attention. This is the low dopamine hypothesis.
This might be why those with ADHD turn to high quantities of caffeine or high quantities of cigarettes, vaping, or marijuana, because these all have the ability to increase dopamine in the brain, in particular in the regions of the brain that regulate attention, and these tasks related and default mode networks.
We see the use of these chemicals more so in adults, however, children with ADHD tend to desire sugary foods in high quantities because this gives them the similar affects. And once they have access to sugar, coffee, and other stimulants or depressants they might become addicted to them more so than the average person because of the effects of dopamine on their brain.
For a long time, experts thought that people with ADHD were simply more susceptible to addictions from these chemicals, however, now it is thought that they might be seeking out the right amount of dopamine which can regulate the networks in the brain that helps their brain to calm down and focus on a few things rather than being overstimulated and unable to control their thoughts or actions.
Spinning off of this hypothesis, pharmaceutical companies have sought to increase levels of dopamine in patients that take medications like Ridellan, Adderall, or Modafinil.
In particular, they seek to increase dopamine in task directed behavior and that coordinate the default mode network and these task related networks.
While these drugs might be helpful because they are stimulants, they also have negative aspects to the mind and body. For example, Ridellan, is very similar to amphetamine which is typically called “speed” on the streets.
Adderall is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. These drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines are incredibly dangerous, addiction forming, and have a high potential for abuse.
The pharmaceutical versions of these are what is used to treat ADHD. Though they are not exactly the same, they are structurally and chemically very similar and their net effect on the brain and body is essentially the same which is to increase dopamine in the brain and to increase levels epinephrine or norepinephrine, or noradrenaline or adrenaline and to increase levels of serotonin in the brain and blood, increasing serotonin is just a small effect of these drugs but is still present.
The main focus in these drugs is to increase dopamine within the brain and body, so that the persons motivation, drive, focus, and energy and to some extent increase serotonin levels a little bit so that the person feels calm and relaxed.
You can probably imagine why this would be a good effect of this medication on someone with ADHD. So essentially the pharmaceutical medication for ADHD are stimulants which are structurally and chemically very similar to the street drugs that we have all heard for decades are so terrible for our minds and bodies.
There have been studies completed using the elimination diet. The idea behind this is that by eliminating foods that your body is sensitive to or allergic to, your immune system will work at peak performance that’s giving your brain the ability to release the appropriate amounts of a dopamine and serotonin.
If your body takes in foods, drinks, lotions, make up, chemicals, preservatives, etc. that it doesn’t like, the reaction that occurs will cause inflammation throughout the body, thus lowering your immune system and the function of different organs like the adrenal glands, your thyroid, and the release of dopamine and serotonin in your brain.
Therefore, it has been found that by eliminating foods which your body is sensitive to or allergic to, there will be less inflammation in your body and your immune system will be at peace level. In several studies within the past few years, the elimination diet has been proven to drastically help enhanced ability to focus, less impulsivity, even less of an intense desire to move around when trying to sit still, so everything from mental focus to trying to control their body was improved within the studies when they eliminated certain issues that they were allergic to from their diets.
The elimination diet in most studies include eliminating foods like gluten, dairy, sugar, carbs, chemicals, preservatives and food colorings.
Omega-3 fatty acids (EPAs) in dosages of 1000 mg and more, up to 2000 mg per day has been shown to have positive effects on the cardiovascular system and the immune system, which in turn positively affect one’s mood, brain function, attention and focus.
And many people studied, pharmaceutical medication have been lessened or stopped completely after taking this dosage of omega-3 fatty acids daily.
Sleep is also extremely important for brain function, your mood, attention and focus. Therefore, one’s diet and nutrition place a key role in your overall mood and mental health.
There are two over the counter compounds that are in active used for ADHD, for use to improve focus. The first one is L-Tyrosine It’s an amino acid that acts as a precursor to the Neuromodulator dopamine.
L-tyrosine leads to an increase in dopamine. L-tyrosine is fairly long lived and can improve one’s ability to focus, however, the dosage often needs to be recalibrated because at times it can make people feel jittery or euphoric where they are unable to focus well.
The dosage frame is anywhere from 100 mg to 1200 mg, so this is something that can be modified by a naturopath or a doctor that practices natural medicine rather than pharmaceutical medication.
Due to the effectiveness and the wide range of potential intake, a person that wants to take L-tyrosine should consult with a doctor to start. L-tyrosine is so effective at the production of and release of dopamine that it is helpful in treating mood disorders as well.
Again, this is something that should be discussed with a naturopath or a natural/holistic doctor. L tyrosine can be found in proteins powders and if you want to try to use it in this type of way first before taking a capsule or seeing a doctor, it might be useful to see if it has a positive affect through hey powdered shakes nutritional supplement.
There are usually a few amino acids in these types of protein powders or meal replacements as amino acids are good for your body and overall health.
However, if you want to take in amino acid or other supplements in high dosages, it is best to consult with a natural path or holistic/natural doctor, again a doctor that does not prescribe pharmaceutical medications, but rather supplements.
There are several studies that you can find online that will provide evidence of the benefits of L tyrosine for ADHD. PEA, also known as Phenylethylamine, which is a dopamine stimulating supplement as well.
This has also been researched in several studies that can be found online. When searching for a study like these, you have to type in what you’re looking for and then list research article or PDF in the Google search or DuckDuckGo search, whatever web browser you have chosen to use.
PA is also a supplement that you are going to want to consult a naturopath or holistic health practitioner about, as the dosage has a very wide range. There is a website, examine.com, that will give you a lot of great information on L tyrosine and PEA.
Simply type in the supplement or amino acid that you are interested in learning more about and you will get some really useful information. You can also go to the section within that search and find out how that specific supplement or amino acid will help ADD or ADHD specifically.
Throughout the past 12 years, I have had several patients that have either self-diagnosed with ADD or ADHD or have been clinically diagnosed from a psychiatrist as having ADD or ADHD.
I always suggest making dietary changes because it can positively impact not only ADD or ADHD symptoms, but it can positively impact your entire body, thus improving your overall mood, quality of sleep, clarity of thought and memory, just to name a few.
It seems as though a few people are interested in making the dietary changes needed to help to lessen ADD or ADHD symptoms, and would rather take a pharmaceutical medication to fix this problem. However, there are adverse effects that have been described to me from patients who have taken various medication for ADD and ADHD.
Several of my patients have complained that the medication they were taking only lasted for a certain amount of hours and then when the medication was wearing off they had very negative effects, such as a headache or being irritable.
They have commented to me that it feels like they’ve hit a wall and they can tell exactly when the medication is wearing off because of the drastic change in brain function and mood.
I’ve seen some patients that have been greatly positively impacted by ADD and ADHD pharmaceutical medication’s, however, it’s important that you know the side effects of any medication that you are going to take because very few people have no side effects of the medication they are taking.
And some people will suffer from the short-term side effects of a medication, while others will suffer from long-term side effects of medications. Some of the negative effects of long-term use of these medications include issues with one’s liver or kidneys.
I’ve also seen patients that have had far worse anxiety or depression after stopping the ADD or ADHD medication that they were taking. And this might be due to what I discussed before which is that many of the ADD and ADHD pharmaceutical medications are intended to increase dopamine, therefore when they stop taking the medication their mood can be greatly impacted.
This has been a surprise to the majority of my patients taking these pharmaceutical medications, as many of them were not told this from their doctor before they stopped taking the medication.
Therefore, it is extremely important that you do your own research and I know the positive and negative side effects of any pharmaceutical medication that you are thinking of taking because I’ve heard of many doctors that simply rely on their pharmaceutical representative to tell them this information and some of the information doesn’t get relayed to their patients.
You have to be your own advocate and do your own research so that you don’t blindly trust someone in the medical field.
I’ve also had a few patients in my private practice who have been more open to a holistic and all natural approach to mental health and wellness who have been open to cutting out some of the main contributors that are known to cause inflammation throughout the body.
Some of these main contributors are: flour because it’s been genetically modified, gluten because it’s been known to cause inflammation and bloating, soy because it’s been genetically modified and impacts hormone levels, dairy, sugar, preservatives, and the chemicals and colors found in the foods that we might be eating every day.
As a holistic and natural approach, I suggest that you try cutting out these foods for at least two weeks to see if symptoms of ADD and ADHD subside or go away completely. Once you have decided what foods you would like to give up and remove from your diet for these two weeks, I suggest that you make a food plan or a food schedule so that you can focus on that food plan for the next two weeks, rather than focusing on the foods that you have to give up.
Try to remember that whatever you focus on is how you’re going to feel. So, if you are focused on the foods that you have to give up, you are a likely going to become irritable and want some foods even more.
However, if you are able to prepare for this new diet and food plan ahead of time and focus on what you are going to eat and drink every day, you will be much happier and will adapt to this food plan much quicker.
Then, if possible, you are going to want to reflect on your day each night for about 10 minutes and write in your journal, whether it’s a therapy journal or food journal or whatever you’d like to call it, focus on your mood that day as well as how it’s correlated with the foods that you eat and drink.
For example, if you noticed that you had less clarity and you felt edgy or mentally overstimulated at 4 o’clock in the afternoon for example, you can look back at your food plan and notice what you eat before that to see how that food or drinks impacted your mind and body.
For example, if you had caffeine or a sugary beverage with lunch and then you felt this way at 4 o’clock, it might be due to the caffeine or the sugar. Therefore, you can make a little changes to your food plan after you know how a certain food or a drink impacts the way that you feel mentally and physically.
I really encourage everyone to plan out what they want to eat and drink every day so that there aren’t any surprises or impulsive eating or drinking, because this is when you will make poor choices in the heat of the moment when you are hungry or thirsty, versus when you are planning out you’re eating and drinking schedule for the week when you are in a clear and calm state of mind.
If we don’t control our daily activities, what we eat, what we drink, who were around, etc., they will control us because we will be much more easily convinced to do things in the heat of the moment or impulsively if we don’t have a plan, versus if we have a plan that we can focus on.
The idea here is to learn about yourself so that you can make changes to your daily schedule that will have a positive impact on your mind and body so that you are in control of your mental health and wellness and saw that external factors happening around you don’t control your mental health and wellness.
Of my patients that wanted to try the holistic and natural approach to lessening their ADD and ADHD symptoms, they all noticed an improvement in mental clarity and calmness after they eliminated these foods that tend to cause inflammation in the body. But that was not all that they noticed.
They also noticed an improvement in mood, quality of sleep, energy during the day, productivity, less irritability and a more stable and regulated mood. This was likely due to their bodies having little to no inflammation due to eliminating the foods that cause inflammation throughout the body.
Remember that your mental health and wellness is directly linked to your gut and immune health. What you eat greatly impacts your immune system, and your immune system directly affects your mental health and wellness.
That’s why physicians practicing more holistic and natural approach will say to use food as medicine, because what we eat can either help us and benefit us, or it can hurt us and limit us and our ability to live fruitful lives. You have probably noticed that when you eat certain foods you feel like crap afterwards.
Therefore, if you eliminate those foods and replace them with healthier foods that your body likes and is not sensitive or allergic to, you will feel much better mentally and physically, and your mood will be improved, and you will have the energy and the drive to deal with the things that you want to do.