NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS FOR IMPROVING SYMPTOMATOLOGY ON ADULTS ADHD

Abstract

ADHD affects approximately 5% of the adult population and is characterized by emotional disturbances, inattention and/or hyperactivity, and impulsivity, leading to social, academic, and professional impairments. Nutrition has been studied as a mechanism for better management of ADHD symptoms due to the ineffectiveness and inaccessibility of traditional treatment and its short and long-term effects. This review aimed to analyze nutritional interventions and identify the effectiveness of supplementation with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids in improving ADHD symptoms in adults. The search included clinical trials published in the last ten years (2012-2022), conducted in adults (≥ 19 years old), and addressing some form of nutritional intervention (nutrients, phytonutrients, nootropics, minerals, vitamins, among others). The search was conducted in the Medline (PubMed) and Cochrane databases, resulting in 780 articles analyzed and thirteen selected. The results suggest potentially beneficial effects in treating ADHD symptoms for omega-3, magnesium L-threonate, tryptophan, B-complex vitamins, and vitamin D. Limiting factors in the analyzed studies were: small sample sizes, differences in sample characteristics and methodological heterogeneity among the studies. Despite the relevant and promising results observed, further research is needed to evaluate their reliability.