Can We Treat ADHD Naturally?

What Is Integrative Medicine for ADHD? A Holistic Health & Wellness Guide

ADHD treatments work best when they don’t just target symptoms but also promote health, calm, and productivity. In this guide to integrative medicine for ADHD, learn how conventional treatments for ADHD can complement holistic approaches to support overall health and wellness.

Lidia Zylowska, M.D.
By Lidia Zylowska, M.D. Verified Updated on October 14, 2024
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ADHD doesn’t only affect attention. Better considered an executive function and self-regulation deficit, ADHD affects the whole person — the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social self. It increases daily stress and chips away at a positive sense of self. It interferes with self-care and makes it hard to keep healthy habits.

This helps to explain why ADHD is linked to chronic stress, burnout, anxiety, mood disorder, sleep problems, substance use, and other conditions and issues. The reverse is also true: chronic stress and anxiety can worsen ADHD symptoms.

ADHD impacts the whole self, so is treatments must likewise target more than inattention and impulsivity. Integrative medicine is growing in popularity because it’s a treatment approach that addresses symptoms and promotes general health and wellness.

Integrative Medicine and ADHD: Index of Topics

What Is Integrative Medicine?

Integrative medicine considers the whole person and leverages all options — holistic thinking, complementary therapies, and conventional treatments — in devising a patient’s care plan.

Studies exploring the effectiveness of integrative approaches for ADHD specifically are limited. Moreover, the most common treatments for ADHD are the conventional – medication and psychotherapy. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends treating ADHD in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 with FDA-approved medications, plus parent training in behavior modification and behavioral classroom interventions. Research studies have found that “stimulant medications are most effective, and combined medication and psychosocial treatment is the most beneficial treatment option for most adult patients with ADHD.”

Still, just as ADHD affects many aspects of wellbeing, a variety of treatments and approaches can do the same.

[Get This Free Download: Natural ADHD Treatment Options]

As an integrative practitioner, my approach for treating patients with ADHD is this: If the ADHD symptoms are significantly impairing, I start with medication, and then phase in other strategies, often outside of conventional care. If the ADHD symptoms are mild to moderate, the non-medication and lifestyle approaches can be tried first.

Over time, as the other skills and strategies are employed, the need for medication can be re-evaluated and the dose reduced.

An example of an integrative medicine plan for ADHD may combine psychotherapy (a conventional strategy), stress-management skills (holistic thinking), and omega-3 fatty acids (a complementary supplement). All ADHD treatment decisions should be made in consultation and coordination with a licensed medical provider.

Conventional Treatments for ADHD

Holistic Wellness and Lifestyle Approaches

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

[Read: How Nutrition, Exercise & Sleep Curb ADHD]

Integrative Medicine and ADHD: Combining Holistic & Conventional Care


Most of the following approaches address ADHD’s secondary issues — namely stress, anxiety, mood, low self-esteem, and emotional dysregulation. Targeting these factors may help decrease the severity and impairment of ADHD’s core symptoms.

Stress Management and Executive Function

Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you develop a greater understanding of your ADHD symptoms and teach you skills that help with executive dysfunction.1

CBT aims to improve problem-solving and stress-management skills by building goal-setting, organizational, and time-management skills. This type of psychotherapy can also improve balanced thinking and communication skills.

ADHD Coaching

An ADHD coach can help you meet your goals and develop skills to address ADHD-related barriers along the way.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness — a practice that includes meditation as well as awareness shifts in daily activities — has been shown to improve both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, as well as selected measures of attention, emotion regulation, and executive functions.2

By analysis of automatic habits, the practice allows you to change them in the moment. For example, mindful awareness may help you realize that you are procrastinating, and help you tune in to the emotions that are driving the procrastination.

Self-Compassion

A facet of mindfulness, practicing self-compassion is particularly important for mental health. Offering yourself some validation and kindness — “This is hard. I’m stressed. I’m struggling” — can make a difference in how you experience stress.

As you observe your reaction and create inner pause, you can ask: “What can I do to help this situation?” and find possibilities to do so. The answer may be “I need to take a few deep breaths” or “I need to prioritize my tasks.”

Reframing the situation or focusing on the positive (e.g., gratitude) to see what is working versus what is not can also help. By making such shifts in awareness and response, you can begin to self-regulate and enhance your resilience.

Neurodiversity Perspective

Viewing ADHD symptoms as neurobiologically-driven ways of responding instead of defects can help foster self-acceptance. In all, it’s beneficial to see ADHD as a biological difference and condition that needs extra support or accommodation.

Lifestyle Habits


Regular sleep, adequate hydration, prioritized self-care, and avoidance of excessive alcohol and other substances may help manage ADHD symptoms. At the same time, the ability to keep up with these practices is often compromised by ADHD itself. It is best for patients and clinicians to identify and target the most problematic areas first.

Exercise

Exercise has wide-ranging health benefits (physical, cognitive, and emotional) both acutely and when done regularly over time. In particular, aerobic exercise has been shown to improve executive functions, attention, and behavioral symptoms in ADHD.3 Some studies also show that other types of mind-body movement, like yoga and tai chi, have a small but positive effect on ADHD symptoms.4

Breathwork

Stress and anxiety typically make breathing faster and shallower. Slow, deliberate, and deep breathing (i.e., belly breathing) can help regulate the sympathetic-parasympathetic nervous system, thus counteracting stress.5

Examples of breathing exercises:

  • 2-to-1 breathing (exhale for twice as long as you inhale)
  • Square breathing (inhale to a count of 4, pause to a count of 4, exhale to the count of 4, and pause to a count of 4)

Acupuncture

Acupuncture, derived from Chinese medicine, aims to target a variety of conditions by stimulating diverse points on the body (acupoints). Some research supporting the use of acupuncture for ADHD is available from Asian countries, but this approach has not been studied widely.6

For general wellness, acupuncture is often used to manage pain and stress-related conditions. I have found it helpful for those who struggle with chronic stress and pain.

Nutrition

While specific nutritional approaches for ADHD symptoms don’t have strong research evidence, we do know that diets high in ultra-processed foods, refined grains, and excessive sugar are linked to poor mental health.7 8

On the other hand, diets high in whole foods — whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, fish, and nuts —  are linked to better mental health outcomes.9 Colorful fruit and vegetables (high in flavonoids and antioxidants) appear to protect against cognitive decline10, and may support modulation of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine.11 Eating protein at each meal and low-glycemic foods (which don’t spike blood sugar quickly) also promotes steady energy levels.

Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis refers to the two-way link between these parts of the body (i.e. the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with intestinal functions). Evidence is mounting about the relationship between the foods we eat and how they affect the gut microbiome.12 Healthy gut flora, for example, is linked to reduced anxiety and serum cortisol levels.13 Prebiotic and probiotic foods, like kimchi and sauerkraut, can support gut health.14

Supplements

There is great interest in the use of supplements and herbs to manage ADHD symptoms and secondary issues, with some supplements showing promising potential. Overall, more research is needed in this area.

1. Micronutrients & Vitamins. For ADHD symptoms, there is evidence that a specific broad-spectrum micronutrient formula (Daily Essential Nutrients) can improve aspects of ADHD, such as inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and emotional regulation.15 16 Some studies have found associations between ADHD and low levels of zinc, ferritin, and magnesium. 17 18 19 Talk with your clinician or a registered dietitian about incorporating these supplements into your health plan.

2. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is associated with small to modest ADHD symptom improvement.20 21 22 It is among the most common supplements used to manage ADHD.

3. Melatonin can be effective as a sleep aid. L-theanine and magnesium supplementation are also linked to better sleep, according to some studies.23 24 25

4. Adaptogens like rhodiola rosea and ashwagandha help the body withstand stress and may also support cognitive functioning.26 27

5. One small study suggests that passionflower extract may help manage some ADHD symptoms.28 Korean red ginseng, ginkgo biloba, marine bark (pycnogenol), and bacopa monnieri have all shown some evidence of improving inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. 29 30 31 32 33Botanical preparations vary in quality, and may have interactions with medications or come with medical contraindications. Guidance from a clinician, herbalist, or pharmacist can be helpful.

In using supplements, two paths can be taken:

  • Using supplements specifically for ADHD symptoms
  • Using supplements to support general mental and physical health (mood, sleep, stress and cognition to indirectly modulate ADHD)

The thinking in using a combination of supplements for ADHD is that multiple nutrients will be involved in the important processes in the brain, such as modulation of key neurotransmitters. Since ADHD symptoms exist on a spectrum from mild to severe, supplementation can be individualized and used with or without medications. When using supplements, practical considerations, like cost or the number of pills needed per day, should be considered.

How to Work with an Integrative Provider

There are many kinds of integrative providers, with different training backgrounds and attitudes about treating ADHD. A good integrative provider will understand conventional mental health and won’t sell only one approach. They should be willing to work collaboratively with you and your other clinicians.

I recommend beginning your search for integrative providers with these national organizations.

Talk with the provider before making an appointment to understand their approach and to see if they are a good fit for your needs. Many of the providers found here have knowledge of integrative approaches, and are willing to collaborate with other integrative clinicians on a holistic treatment plan.

Keep in mind that medication is a very helpful tool to support the brain processing differences due to ADHD. It is important to collaborate with your doctor to find the most effective medication and dosage for you. There may be times when more medication is needed, and times when it can be decreased or eliminated. We know that the level of impairment that comes with ADHD can fluctuate over a lifespan. The change can happen because one’s environment (school or job tasks) changes, if lifestyle habits are optimized, or if treatment tools are used successfully.

The whole-person approach looks at how ADHD affects all of one’s health and lifestyle, and vice versa. It is important to start treatment gradually and to have support — family, ADHD community, nutritionist, coach, or clinician — along the way to better wellbeing.

Integrative Medicine: Next Steps

How to Treat ADHD in Children: Next Questions

  1. What ADHD medications are used to treat children?
  2. Is ADHD medication right for my child?
  3. What are common side effects associated with ADHD medication?
  4. What natural treatments help kids with ADHD?
  5. What if the medication stops working?
  6. How can I find an ADHD specialist near me?

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