ADHD

ADHD is a mental health condition associated with difficulties involving attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Cognitive flexibility is another area studied in relation to ADHD.

A concise starting point for exploring ADHD and the information surrounding it.

14What may help

This list shows research findings, not treatments. Nothing here replaces medical care. If you have this condition, talk to a doctor.

What may help

What studies found for each option, best evidence first.

14 options:4 some evidence1 mixed4 not enough evidence2 not tested in people3 no benefit found

What studies foundSize of effect

CardiopracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded reported improvements in inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and executive function in children and adolescents with ADHD.
Open the Cardio page
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)practiceSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
Findings in ADHD are mixed: one within-group study reported reduced cognitive problems and inattention, one RCT found no significant change in executive function, and an RCT in adolescents found reduced hyperactivity/inattention. A 2025 RCT in 118 participants also found lower parent-rated combined SWAN scores versus usual care.
Open the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) page
SwimmingpracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 4 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded found statistically significant improvements in attention problems and cognitive flexibility with aquatic exercise compared with no intervention and traditional aerobic exercise; it ranked first for these outcomes (SUCRA=80.9% and SUCRA=86.6%, respectively). A review also described reduced stress and behavioral symptoms with structured aquatic interventions in this subgroup.
Open the Swimming page
Hatha YogapracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
A 2023 trial in 159 adults with ADHD found improvement in temporal impulsivity after 10 minutes of Hatha yoga, but not in attention or other measured forms of impulsivity. A 2019 trial reported lower ADHD symptom scores after 12 weeks, although participants did not have a formal ADHD diagnosis.
Open the Hatha Yoga page
MeditationpracticeMixed resultsSize of effect: Large
Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.
3 of 4 studies found a benefit; 1 found none.
Open the Meditation page
PsychotherapypracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded reported benefit from virtual reality interventions on mental health outcomes in studies that included children with ADHD.
Open the Psychotherapy page
Expressive WritingpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A single-arm case series used the practice to target emotional and socio-emotional difficulties in 4 participants with a clinical ADHD diagnosis; the reported finding does not state whether those difficulties improved.
Open the Expressive Writing page
Jump Rope TrainingpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
An 8-week randomized trial in 55 children with ADHD found improvements in working memory and cardiorespiratory fitness after rope-skipping exercise. A separate 12-week randomized trial of combined exercise in 12 children found improvements in physical fitness and epinephrine levels.
Open the Jump Rope Training page

Show all 14

The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.

What may help

Interventions recorded as helping with this condition14 listed

Most likely to help, from the evidence we have

PracticesCardioCertaintyMediumSourceMeta-analysis
Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded reported improvements in inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and executive function in children and adolescents with ADHD.
Who was studied
People with a condition
Study result
Meta-analysis of 16 RCTs showing moderate improvements in inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents with ADHD.
Open Cardio
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PracticesAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)CertaintyMediumSourceRCT
Findings in ADHD are mixed: one within-group study reported reduced cognitive problems and inattention, one RCT found no significant change in executive function, and an RCT in adolescents found reduced hyperactivity/inattention. A 2025 RCT in 118 participants also found lower parent-rated combined SWAN scores versus usual care.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Asthma
Study result
Mixed evidence: one within-group study showed significantly reduced cognitive problems and inattention (CPRS-R:L, DSM-IV); one RCT showed no significant change in executive function; one RCT in adolescents reduced hyperactivity/inattention (SDQ).
Open Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
→
PracticesMeditationCertaintyMediumSourceRCTLarge effect
Pooled SMD for core ADHD symptoms favored MBIs (SMD -1.30, 95% CI [-2.14, -0.45]) with high heterogeneity and low GRADE certainty.
How big is the effect
Large effectA big difference on average. Check how strong the evidence is.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Open Meditation
→
PracticesSwimmingCertaintyMediumSourceRCT
Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded found statistically significant improvements in attention problems and cognitive flexibility with aquatic exercise compared with no intervention and traditional aerobic exercise; it ranked first for these outcomes (SUCRA=80.9% and SUCRA=86.6%, respectively). A review also described reduced stress and behavioral symptoms with structured aquatic interventions in this subgroup.
Study result
Network meta-analysis of 31 RCTs showing aquatic exercise ranked first for attention problems (SUCRA=80.9%) and cognitive flexibility (SUCRA=86.6%), with statistically significant improvements over no intervention and traditional aerobic exercise.
Open Swimming
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PracticesHatha YogaCertaintyMediumSourceClinical
A 2023 trial in 159 adults with ADHD found improvement in temporal impulsivity after 10 minutes of Hatha yoga, but not in attention or other measured forms of impulsivity. A 2019 trial reported lower ADHD symptom scores after 12 weeks, although participants did not have a formal ADHD diagnosis.
Who was studied
Healthy people and patients
ADHD
Study result
10-min Hatha yoga significantly improved temporal impulsivity on the Delay Discounting Task AUC in adults with ADHD (p=0.004); no significant effects were found on attention, motor impulsivity, cognitive impulsivity, or movement.
Open Hatha Yoga
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Low probability(6)

PracticesPsychotherapyCertaintyLowSourceMeta-analysis
Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded reported benefit from virtual reality interventions on mental health outcomes in studies that included children with ADHD.
Who was studied
People with a condition
Study result
Three studies included children with ADHD; overall meta-analysis showed significant benefit of VR interventions on mental health outcomes.
Open Psychotherapy
→
PracticesExpressive WritingCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A single-arm case series used the practice to target emotional and socio-emotional difficulties in 4 participants with a clinical ADHD diagnosis; the reported finding does not state whether those difficulties improved.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Study result
Participants were selected for a clinical diagnosis of ADHD with emotional and socio-emotional difficulties; the intervention targeted these difficulties. Single-arm case series.
Open Expressive Writing
→
PracticesJump Rope TrainingCertaintyLowSourceClinical
An 8-week randomized trial in 55 children with ADHD found improvements in working memory and cardiorespiratory fitness after rope-skipping exercise. A separate 12-week randomized trial of combined exercise in 12 children found improvements in physical fitness and epinephrine levels.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Study result
Significant improvements in working memory and cardiorespiratory fitness after 8-week RSE intervention in children with ADHD.
Open Jump Rope Training
→
PracticesQigongCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A randomized trial in 120 school-aged children with ADHD found lower scores on a hyperactivity measure in both exercise groups, but the difference between groups was not significant.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Study result
Trial enrolled school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD; both exercise arms reduced DSNAP_HYP scores, but the between-group difference was not significant.
Open Qigong
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PracticesBrain Games / PuzzlesCertaintyLowSourceTheoretical
Working memory and attention-based brain games are described as adjunctive interventions to improve executive function in children and adults with ADHD.
Study result
Working memory and attention-based brain games are evidence-supported adjunctive interventions for improving executive function in children and adults with ADHD.
Open Brain Games / Puzzles
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PracticesTranscendental MeditationCertaintyLowSourceTheoretical
Expert knowledge suggests Transcendental Meditation may help students with ADHD with attention, impulse control, and executive function, as an adjunctive intervention; this is not a clinical-trial finding.
Study result
TM improved attention, impulse control, and executive function in students with ADHD, suggesting it is a useful adjunctive intervention.
Open Transcendental Meditation
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Very low probability(3)

PracticesHot YogaCertaintyVery lowSourceClinical
A randomized trial did not support an effect: after 6 weeks, 32 women screening positive for adult ADHD showed no significant group-by-time interactions for executive function, mood, mindfulness, or motivation compared with a waitlist.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Open Hot Yoga
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PracticesCyclingCertaintyVery lowSourceClinical
An RCT involving 29 people with ADHD found no statistically significant differences in its primary memory outcomes. A post-hoc sentence-production difference reached p<0.05 but was interpreted as an unconfirmed signal.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Open Cycling
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PracticesYogaCertaintyVery lowSourceClinical
A 6-week trial found no changes in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, or working memory compared with a waitlist; the studies did not support yoga for these outcomes in ADHD.
Who was studied
People with a condition
ADHD
Depression
Obesity
Open Yoga
→

What to avoid

Interventions recorded as making it worse

Nothing in this library is currently recorded as making ADHD worse. Coverage is partial, and absence here is not evidence of safety.

Browse the supplements that are written up

How to read the evidence

Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound

StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.

Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real

Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence

Source — where the data comes from

Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
ClinicalA human clinical study
Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested

Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)

AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only

Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding

A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement

Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.

Full write-up

What is it

ADHD is a mental health condition associated with difficulties involving attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Cognitive flexibility is another area studied in relation to ADHD. These describe features or areas of difficulty connected with the condition, rather than separate conditions themselves. Information about approaches such as Swimming and Bacopa Monnieri concerns their possible relationship to ADHD-related symptoms, not a definition of ADHD.

Evidence-backed options

The options associated with ADHD have been studied in different ways, so they should not be viewed as interchangeable. Evidence includes aquatic exercise, supplements, caffeine, melatonin, and yoga, but the populations and outcomes vary. Some findings concern core symptoms such as attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, while others concern sleep or factors associated with ADHD risk rather than treatment of established symptoms.

Only one option has a clearly specified regimen in the available findings: Coenzyme Q10 was given at 1–3 mg/kg/day for 6 months in children. For most other options, a dose and treatment duration are not specified here. Melatonin findings concern shorter sleep latencies and longer total sleep durations, indicating that sleep-related changes were assessed rather than a uniform onset of improvement in core ADHD symptoms. Aquatic exercise findings concern attention problems and cognitive flexibility, but the timing of when benefits appeared is not established.

The evidence also does not apply uniformly to every person with ADHD. Omega-3 findings concern children and adolescents with diagnosed ADHD and indicate limited therapeutic effects. Maternal folic acid findings address possible risk in offspring, not treatment of a child or adult with ADHD. Magnesium and yoga were studied in clinical-condition populations, while several other options were studied in populations whose health status was not specified. Overall, the evidence is uneven, and some options have only limited support or insufficient research for core symptoms. These findings are educational and do not replace clinical care.