Niacin and ADHD – a Guideline for Parents

Is Niacin and ADHD a realistic possibility? Naicin is just one of the many essential human nutrients that we need to keep our bodies going. It is also called Vitamin B3 and belongs to the Vitamin B complex and as such plays a key role in daily nutrition.

Recently the Alternative Medicine Review published a study on vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and found that these were as effective as ADHD meds in alleviating ADHD symptoms such as restlessness and hyperactivity. Niacin was one of the elements in the cocktail of supplements but to say that Niacin and ADHD are the solution for ADHD is a gross exaggeration.


The jury is still out on ADHD Niacin but other studies on multivitamins have shown possible benefits for children with ADHD. The bottom line is that while Niacin is an important dietary supplement, any diet which is balanced and has sufficient quantities of Vitamin D, B and C groups, then an ADHD child will definitely benefit.

People usually with a deficiency in Niacin are probably not getting enough wheat germ, meat, yeast , eggs and dairy products. Fruit and vegetables also contain Niacin so tomatoes, avocadoes. asparagus and dates are all beneficial. If your child is not getting enough of any of these, a good multivitamin or a Vitamin B complex pill will fill the gap nicely. If you want to give just ADHD Niacin to a child, the daily dose is 2 and 12 mg.

Niacin is basically a supplement for treating high cholesterol and has been used with caution among diabetic adults as it has been shown that it can increase glycemic levels. A recent study has exonerated Niacin and now it is regarded as a safe supplement also for diabetics.

Niacin and ADHD has recently gained more publicity because a modified form of Vitamin B3 is now sold as NADH. This has been shown in tests to be beneficial for healthy brain function so it is excellent for those children, teenagers and adults suffering from inattentive ADHD.

Patients reported an improved focus and attention. But more tests and research need to be done. It seems to me that an intelligent parent will make sure that a healthy balanced diet is given and when this cannot be done, multivitamins including Niacin are given as supplements.

The medical community is far too inclined to scoff at ADHD natural remedies especially the homeopathic ones as they say that no proper extensive trials have been done. But no long term studies on the ADHD meds have been done either and actually the longest one has been 14 months which is useless in determining long term effects.

While ADHD Niacin is not the whole answer, the best solution is an ADHD homeopathic remedy which is gaining in popularity among parents.