9 Foods to Supercharge Your Brain Health
Did you know that too much of the wrong foods may actually shrink the decision-making parts of your brain? Use these ADHD nutrition tips, recommended by Dr. Daniel G. Amen, to improve your brain health, focus, memory, and mood — naturally.
![Daniel Amen, M.D.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Daniel-Amen.jpg?w=300&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C300px&ssl=1)
![For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_1_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_brain-food_ts_167314167.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Feed Your ADHD Brain
Good, healthy food is brain medicine. For people with all types of ADHD, nutrition can have a powerfully positive effect on cognition, feelings, and behavior. The right nutrients may even allow you to decrease your medication dosage. The wrong ones, on the other hand, can have a very real negative effect on ADHD symptoms.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_2_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_brain-vegetables-fruit_ts_459134795.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
The Benefits of Brain-Healthy Food
When I convince my patients to eat a brain-healthy foods, they notice better mood stability, stronger focus, and more stamina. They also report less distractibility, less tiredness in the late morning and mid-afternoon, and fewer cravings for sugary substances. Here, find some food strategies I use at the Amen Clinics to help my patients create the best ADHD diet.
![Woman weighing on scale. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_3_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_woman-weighing-herself_ts_medfr15019.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Quality Over Quantity
Always opt for high-quality food — and not too much of it. Thanks in part to impulsivity, ADHD is often associated with consuming more calories than needed1, which is a demonstrated danger to the brain. Swapping a 720-calorie cinnamon roll for a 400-calorie salad made of spinach, salmon, blueberries, apples, walnuts, and red bell peppers will supercharge your energy and perhaps make you smarter. In one study2, monkeys who ate more calories than they needed had significant shrinkage in the important decision-making areas of the brain.
[Free Download: What to Eat — And Avoid — to Improve ADHD Symptoms]
![Woman drinking water. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_4_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_woman-drinking-water_ts_452417007.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Water, Water Everywhere
Your brain is 80 percent water. Anything that dehydrates it, such as too much caffeine or alcohol, decreases your thinking and impairs your judgment. Make sure you get enough water for your brain every day. A good general rule: If you weigh 150 pounds, consume 75 ounces of water per day; do not exceed more than 120 ounces a day.
![Pencil drawing of foods. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_5_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_pencil-drawing-foods_ts_75488529.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Proactive About Protein
Protein helps balance your blood sugar and focus, and provides the necessary building blocks for brain health. Great sources of protein include fish, skinless turkey or chicken, beans, raw nuts, and high-protein vegetables such as broccoli and spinach. Protein powders can also be a good source of protein, but read the label to make sure the product isn’t high in sugar. Start each day with protein to boost your focus and concentration skills.
![Fruits and vegetables for low-glycemic diet. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_6_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_picture-lots-of-fruits-vegetables_ts_476480287.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Go with Low-Glycemic, High-Fiber Carbs
This means eat carbohydrates that do not spike your blood sugar, and that are high in fiber, such as vegetables and legumes, and fruits like blueberries and apples. Bad carbohydrates, such as simple sugars, are stripped of any nutritional value. Sugar is the enemy to your brain. The glycemic index rates carbohydrates according to their effects on blood sugar. Eating low-glycemic foods will lower your blood glucose levels, decrease cravings, and help you focus.
![Foods with unsaturated fats. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_7_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_foods-unsaturated-fat_ts_186720618.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Go with Good Fats
Good fats are essential to your health. Your brain is 60 percent fat (after all the water is removed). Bad fats, like anything containing trans fats, should be eliminated. Focus your food intake on healthy fats — especially those that contain omega-3 fatty acids — found in foods like salmon, sardines, avocados, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and dark green leafy vegetables.
[10 Foods (and Supplements and Vitamins!) to Boost Your ADHD Brain]
![Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_8_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_collection-fruits-vegetables_ts_153517627.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Eat from the Rainbow
Compose your daily meals of natural foods of many different colors, such as blueberries, pomegranates, yellow squash, and red bell peppers. This will boost antioxidant levels in your body and help keep your brain young.
![Jars of Herbs. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_9_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_jars-of-herbs_ts_86533842.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Spice Up Your Menu
Studies show that some herbs and spices benefit the brain and cognition:
- Turmeric may decrease the plaque in the brain thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.3
- Saffron extract was found to be as effective as medication in affecting mood levels in some cases.4
- Rosemary, thyme, and sage help boost memory.5
- Cinnamon has been shown to help attention and blood flow.6
- Garlic and oregano boost blood flow to the brain.7
![People shopping for organic foods. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_10_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_people-shopping-organic-food_ts_187844866.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
You Are What You Eat…
…So avoid the bad stuff. Things like pesticides used in commercial farming can accumulate in your brain and body, even though the levels in each food may be low. Eat organically grown or raised food as much as possible. Eat free-range and grass-fed meat that is hormone- and antibiotic-free. In addition, eliminate food additives, preservatives, and artificial dyes and sweeteners. This means you must start reading food labels. If you do not know what is in something, do not eat it.
![Eating gluten-free. For some people with adhd, diet and nutrition are key components of managing their symptoms.](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/93_11_Treat_Diet_Food-Brain_Slideshow_93_gluten-free_ts_516212886.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Throw Out the Problem Foods
There are scientific reports of people whose brains and stomachs get better when they eliminate wheat and other gluten sources (such as barley, rye, spelt, imitation meats, soy sauce) from their meals. Children with ADHD and/or autism may do better8 on an elimination regimen that's free of wheat, dairy, processed foods, all forms of sugar and sugar alternatives, food dyes, and additives.
[Free Guide to Delicious (and ADHD-Friendly!) Meals]
Daniel Amen, M.D., is a member of the ADDitude ADHD Specialist Panel.
![Hands of person with ADHD flip through textbook at table](https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/School.3Rs_do_not_forget_memory_tips_for_students.Article.772B.closeup_hand_book.ts_183706377-1.jpg?resize=480%2C270px&ssl=1)
Footnotes
1 Fleming, John. “ADHD and Disordered Eating.” Dr. John Fleming, drjohnfleming.com/adhd-and-disordered-eating.
2 Colman, Ricki J., and Rozalyn M. Anderson. “Nonhuman Primate Calorie Restriction.” Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, vol. 14, no. 2, 15 Jan. 2011, pp. 229–239.
3 Mishra, Shrikant, and Kalpana Palanivelu. “The Effect of Curcumin (Turmeric) on Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview.” Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, vol. 11, no. 1, 2008, p. 13., doi:10.4103/0972-2327.40220.
4 Hausenblas, Heather Ann, et al. “Saffron (Crocus Sativus L.) and MDD: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.” Journal of Integrative Medicine, vol. 11, no. 6, 2013, pp. 377–383., doi:10.3736/jintegrmed2013056.
5 “Herbs That Can Boost Your Mood and Memory.” Northumbria University Newcastle News, Northumbria University Newcastle, 29 Apr. 2016, www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/2016/04/herbs-that-can-boost-your-mood-and-memory/.
6 Rao, Pasupuleti Visweswara, and Siew Hua Gan. “Cinnamon: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2014, 2014, pp. 1–12., doi:10.1155/2014/642942.
7 Mathew, B, and R Biju. “Neuroprotective Effects of Garlic: A Review.” Libyan Journal of Medicine, vol. 3, no. 1, 2008, pp. 23–33., doi:10.4176/071110.
8Ly, V., Bottelier, M., Hoekstra, P. J., Arias Vasquez, A., Buitelaar, J. K., & Rommelse, N. N. (2017). "Elimination diets' efficacy and mechanisms in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder." European child & adolescent psychiatry, 26(9), 1067–1079., doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0959-1