Sometimes knowing if an ADHD supplement is trustworthy can be a difficult challenge. You might want to try to use supplements for ADHD management, but where do you even begin?
You most likely don’t have a medical degree or work as a pharmacist. Without a medical background, how do you sift through the over the top claims and excessive self promotion of some supplement makers? How do you know who you can and should trust and who you should think twice about?
Supplements fall into a tricky gray area when it comes to things you consume or use for treatment. Unlike prescription medication, supplements do not need to pass any required regulations with the federal government. Many factors play into this process of little to no regulation.
Foremost of all the factors, the government puts supplements in the same category as food, not medicine. This categorization makes it far easier for manufacturers to put out supplement products with little to no outside oversight.
While all of these factors can present issues, here at FastBraiin, we believe that the evidence really does show that supplements can help treat ADHD. Knowing that supplements work, though, still only gets you part way there. You still need to know how to tell if an ADHD supplement is trustworthy. In this post, we hope to provide you some good tips on identifying who you can trust.
Know What Works and What Doesn’t
In order to know if an ADHD supplement is trustworthy, you need to first understand what types of supplements do what. Not every supplement accomplishes the same thing. Just like taking aspirin for headaches or body aches, supplements target one specific issue or symptom.
To know if a supplement manufacturer tells the truth with their advertising, you need to become familiar with common supplements and their benefits. Read the label of potential supplements to see what natural ingredients make up the product. Once you know the ingredients compare that list to what the manufacturer says the supplement will do. If the manufacturer claims that the product will do much more than the natural ingredients would suggest, you should be suspicious.
Additionally, if the supplement manufacturer advertises the benefits of a new ingredient that you have not heard of before, you might want to do more research. Some nutrients and supplements simply don’t do anything. When taking some supplements that your body doesn’t want or need, the ingredients will pass through your body without any benefit.
You can possibly identify some reasons why your body doesn’t absorb all the supplements you take. In many cases, though, your body won’t absorb something it doesn’t need. In identifying which ADHD supplement is trustworthy, do your research on ingredients to make sure they are something your body can and will use.
Here are a few of the most common natural supplement ingredients and what they address in ADHD:
Omega-3 fatty acids
Of all potential ADHD supplements, you most likely have heard the most about omega-3 fatty acids. Many reasons exist why you should consider Omega-3 supplements for ADHD management. For starters, omega-3 acids are essential fats that your body needs but that your body does not produce on its own.
Normally, your body might absorb omega-3s primarily through consuming fish. If you don’t consume enough, though, in your regular diet, you might consider a supplement. The specific benefits to look for from taking Omega-3 supplements would be increased focus, improved behavior, and lowered impulsivity.
Iron
You may have seen iron supplements at your local supermarket. You may even have taken iron for various things, particularly during pregnancy. We naturally consume iron in our everyday diet, but as with many supplements, you might not consume enough.
Our bodies mainly use iron in the production of hemoglobin in our blood which carries oxygen throughout our bodies. Without iron, your body couldn’t make more hemoglobin and might not be able to send oxygen where it needs to go. Since iron plays such an important role in red blood cells, you need to make sure you get enough to fuel all your body parts and organ systems.
Research has shown that low iron levels may make ADHD symptoms worse. For this reason, iron supplements might help mitigate restlessness and inattentiveness. Before considering iron supplements, though, you should always consult a doctor and have a blood test done. If taken in too high of quantities, iron can become toxic in your body.
Zinc
Another ADHD supplement that you need to know about is zinc. While zinc has been found to have a number of different uses in the human body, researchers see one of its foremost benefits as support for our immune system and preventing diseases. Additionally, doctors believe that zinc plays a role in some critical brain functions.
This last feature of benefiting brain function might play the most important role in relation to ADHD. Zinc supplements might help ADHD symptoms through influencing brain processes and responses. Primarily, tests on zinc show that it may help to reduce impulsive behaviors and hyperactivity in individuals with ADHD.
Again, zinc cannot provide the benefits of a cure all for ADHD. It may, however, help to keep some ADHD symptoms and behaviors in check along with other ADHD treatment strategies.
Magnesium
A final supplement that we want to point out that you may consider while looking into making sure an ADHD supplement is trustworthy is magnesium. As with many of the other supplements, magnesium plays an important role in brain health and function. In fact, having a deficiency of magnesium in your system has been linked to higher rates of depression and greater anxiety.
In treating ADHD, doctors believe that magnesium supplements may help to reduce hyperactivity. As with many of the other supplement options, you only want to take magnesium if you have a deficiency already. Interestingly enough, though, studies have found that many children with ADHD do also have a magnesium deficiency. If considering adding a magnesium supplement to your ADHD daily routine, consult with your doctor first.
Do your own research to find more about which ADHD supplement is trustworthy
While this list provides a good place to start, it shouldn’t be the other resource that you consult. These supplements listed here include some of the most common ADHD supplements, but this does not provide an exhaustive list.
We strongly recommend doing more research on your own as to which supplements do what. As someone looking to manage ADHD, you should try to read up on supplements to become your own ADHD expert. For more information on common supplements and their benefits, we recommend reading the article at this link.
Consult with a Professional
The next step in identifying if an ADHD supplement is trustworthy should be consulting with a professional, most likely a doctor or licensed counselor. While you need to know as much about supplements as possible, you also need to be sure that your doctor knows everything about what you eat and goes into your diet. Other that yourself, your doctor knows the most about your health. As a result, your doctor more than likely can provide valuable input on what additional things you should build into your diet.
Many times, your doctor or counselor can recommend supplements you can look into. If your doctor has little experience with ADHD, try connecting with a professional or counselor who does. You can possibly find referrals for professionals in your area through online group discussion boards.
Treating ADHD doesn’t just involve one approach. Supplements might play one part, but you need to know if you should consider medication or behavioral modification first before choosing supplements. Start with talking with your doctor about finding which ADHD supplement is trustworthy.
Read the Reviews and Find Out Who’s Using What
As a parent trying to manage ADHD in your children, you need to have a support network around you. Managing ADHD effectively presents struggles and challenges that many parents just don’t have the skills to address by themselves.
You need help. You need support. Here at FastBraiin, we recommend depending on other parents and a community of people also trying to manage ADHD.
The best support includes people around you. This could involve family or neighbors or friends that also have children with ADHD.
When it comes to things like supplements, you need to talk to your network and those around you about what they have tried and what has worked for them. You should never buy into the false belief that no one else considers supplements. Others have considered supplements and have tried them and can help you identify which ADHD supplement is trustworthy.
If you don’t have a support network of friends and family near you, you shouldn’t lose hope. Fortunately, in the absence of a physical network, you can find many opportunities to connect with others online. To get started, you can find online support communities through this link or at this website.
Join one or more of these communities and ask questions about supplements. Find out what others have used and would recommend. For additional tips on finding support for ADHD refer to the information in this article.
Talk to the Manufacturer
Trust depends on communication. If you can’t communicate or even contact the company you do business with or find any information on them, it will be difficult to put trust in them. When it comes to the supplements you or child take, you really want to talk to the manufacturer about their product.
To know if an ADHD supplement is trustworthy look no further than who makes it. Unfortunately, in the world of supplement manufacturers, some producers only care about making money. You, on the other hand, care about finding a product that actually works. If the manufacturer of your supplement really cares about a quality product they will also care about talking with you.
In considering which ADHD supplement to go with, start with looking at who makes the supplement and where. Does the manufacture have facilities in the US? Do they import all their ingredients from producers in other countries?
Ideally, the manufacturer should have a website that you can visit that may have more information on both the company and product. After visiting the website, you should try to both call the company and send them an email. Ask the manufacturer about how their supplement helps treat ADHD and any negative side effects. Ask them if they have conducted any studies of their products and how you can see the results.
A manufacturer who stands by their product will be eager to talk with you about what you can expect. Talking with someone directly helps provide satisfaction that you have found something you can trust. For more information on what information manufacturers need to provide read more at this link.
If it Sounds Too Good to Be True, it Probably Is
Supplements can play an important part of any ADHD comprehensive treatment plan. This rarely means, though, that supplements play the only role in your ADHD management. Supplements most likely won’t solve all your ADHD management issues. After all, they are called supplements for a reason.
They should supplement other things you eat, consume, or take. Before you trust everything a manufacturer tells you, you really need to understand what supplements can and cannot do. You also need to understand that supplements should only fill in the gaps of what your diet does not provide for your body.
Knowing if an ADHD supplement is trustworthy partly depends on looking past some of the more extravagant claims. A trustworthy supplement won’t over promise the results that you can expect to receive. If a supplement tells you it will fix all your ADHD symptoms in one pill, it most likely can’t be trusted.
Another aspect of taking supplements that you need to remember is that not all supplements work the same for all people. A trustworthy supplement should phrase its benefits as potential results. If a supplement guarantees tremendous benefits for everyone who takes it, you might be better off avoiding it altogether and going with something else.
Identify if an ADHD Supplement is Trustworthy to Make Sure it Works for You
As we’ve mentioned in this article, a supplement should be just one part of your overall ADHD management plan. With that being said, though, a supplement might provide a critical part of your overall strategy. To be sure that your management plan works the best, you need to be certain that you know which ADHD supplement is trustworthy.
To get started with using the right supplement, we recommend following the steps and tips outlined above in this article. These suggestions, though, provide just a starting point. We recommend going further and researching as much as you can about different supplements. Some good resources you can start with include five facts behind Omega-3 ADHD supplements and ADHD supplements that work.
You shouldn’t be afraid of trying supplements. You should just make sure you have all the right tools and resources to make sure you choose the right supplements. Use this article and other resources to get started on the right track to make sure an ADHD supplement is trustworthy.
