I’d like to know what anyone is using that they really think is helping them that isn’t taking traditional prescription medication for ADHD. Please make sure whatever it is can be found “over the counter” or readily available commercially. Please keep it to simple items that are easily found separately - i.e. a B vitamin of B6, 12 and vitamin C along with Magnesium glycinate or something. If you notice it helping in a specific area, please say what it is.

I have to throw in a couple caveats, just to make sure we can get a decent picture of what is actually helping, so…

  • Please nothing illicit or illegal.

  • Please no blends or other proprietary herbal combinations. If a blend helps you, great…but we don’t know what is in the blend that is helping, and someone may not have access to that product where they live.

  • Please be specific, like making sure to differentiate between magnesium glycinate and magnesium L-threonate.

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Edit: “votes” so far:

1 - Creatine monohydrate - short term memory

2 - Lion’s mane (a fungus) - brain fog

2 - Omega 3, 6, and 9 - brain fog

1 - exercise. Not really a supplement, but it’s a great idea for overall health.

1 - keto diet - brain fog

1 - N-Acetyl-cystein (NAC) - ?

2 - magnesium glycinate - ?

1 - Magnesium carbonate

Stimulants:

2 - Coffee

1 - caffeine (via energy drink)

1 - Guarana

1 - Green tea (caffeine and L-Theanine)

  • jetAEnglish
    14·
    3 days ago

    It’s a very extreme change, that can only be done safely with a lot of care , as it implies cutting out most fruit and vegetables, for instance.

    https://www.metabolicmind.org/is-keto-safe

    You can still eat non-starchy veggies on keto. You can have fruit in moderation. When changing your metabolism care should be taken with medications and worked out with the prescribing doctor as the power of medicine change change in the new metabolism. The eating pattern itself is without harm, there is no essential carbohydrate for human nutrition, no deficiencies.

    it’s not medically recommended for anything but a few very specific serious neurological disorders.

    And ADHD isn’t a a Neurological disorder might not experience some benefit?

    Here is a medical textbook Ketogenic : The Science of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction in Human Health

    But TLDR it is used in the treatment of type 2 and type 1 diabetes, the treatment of high blood pressure, etc.

    More specifically for NDDs : https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821617-0.00006-1

    While the brain is perceived as a glucose-dependent organ, ketone bodies are an alternative and possibly superior fuel, allowing patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia, and mood disorders to improve their glucose hypometabolic states and associated symptoms. Ketogenic diets (KDs) are an accepted standard of treatment for refractory epilepsies and alleviate neuroinflammation in other neuropathologies. Research on the KD in the treatment of these disorders is in its infancy, yet has demonstrable restorative potential begging further investigation.

    I wouldn’t go around recommending something like that.

    The bad part about learning about a better metabolism is you feel the need to help others, so I do what I can to make sure people are informed about the option.

    If you want to enter a ketogenic state, intermittent fasting is a much less worrisome way to do it.

    I would agree, but in the context of someone wanting general health improvements - and perhaps a good starting point for ADHD. For Neurological issues consistency is key, going in and out of sugar burning and insulin resistance may not be enough of a treatment to see positive results. Using your Epilepsy example - the benefit is seen only with consistent adherence.

    • Eiri@lemmy.caEnglish
      3·
      3 days ago

      I thought even nuts and carrots were too much carbs to maintain a ketogenic state, and even broccoli had to be consumed with moderation, or symptoms would resume.

      But to be fair my knowledge is from my complete memories of, like, Doctor Mike videos.

      • jetAEnglish
        13·
        3 days ago

        haha, I don’t know doctor mike.

        There is a whole spectrum of glucose control.

        At the one end we have

        • Carbaholic
        • Low Carb < 100-150g / day
        • Ketogenic < 20-50g / day
        • Zero Carb ~ close to zero

        Throw in intermittent fasting of some type, and you have a bit more variability. The literature I’ve seen indicates most of the major benefits are seen proportionally to the time glucose isn’t elevated.

        Broccoli at 7g of carbs per 100g serving could fit into most of the keto protocols, its more of a carb budget then a restriction of all carbs.

        The blood/brain barrier can become insulin resistant and when that happens the ratio of glucose and insulin in the brain itself isn’t the same as in the blood stream, so even though there are major glucose levels in the brain it can’t be utilized without insulin in the right ratio. Interestingly ketones pass through the blood brain barrier with no resistance, and can be utilized for energy for most brain function 70-95% depending on the keto adaption period… There are some non-human studies on how ketones can signal repair pathways in mice brains to dispose of misfolded proteins, though its a bit of a black box at the moment.

        I bring up the mechanisms we know about the brain to indicate that some neurological conditions may benefit more from ketones persistently then just low carb, but i do agree intermittent fasting is a great place to start.

        If the condition is serious patients can use a ketone and glucose monitor to track their carbohydrate tolerance and avoid events. I.E. everyone’s carbohydrate tolerance is different based on genetics, muscle uptake, GI function, etc. The indexes above are conservative.