Role of Vitamins and Nutrients in the Management of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Narrative Review

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder that affects individuals across all age groups, including children, adolescents, and adults. The ADHD etiology encompasses a lack of several nutrients and food compositions. Some applied strategies, such as increased intake of specific nutrients, were proposed as additional therapy for this condition. In our narrative review, we explored the relationship between dietary patterns and ADHD by searching through “Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed” for relevant studies. This review sheds light on the connection between dietary patterns and ADHD and provides a concise summary about practicing these dietary therapies. Several studies reported that unhealthy eating habits were positively correlated with ADHD, while healthy eating habits showed a negative correlation. Furthermore, there is a potential association between ADHD and deficiency in certain nutrients, including magnesium, iron, zinc, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin D. However, despite the promising nature of the dietary modifications as strategies for managing ADHD, the need for more robust scientific evidence to validate their effectiveness is highly recommended.