9 Foods to Supercharge Your Brain Health

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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

…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.

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.

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