A child who cannot stay focused on an exercise for more than five minutes, a teenager who systematically puts off homework until tomorrow, a family exhausted from managing constant restlessness… You almost certainly recognise these situations.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not down to “bad parenting” or too much screen time. It is a neurobiological disorder with multifactorial origins, which can persist into adulthood in 50 to 65% of patients1.
Faced with the limits of drug treatments, there is now an integrative approach combining lifestyle, nutrition, the microbiome and micronutrition.
Step 1: Optimise lifestyle and environment
First and foremost, the goal is to set a framework. ADHD shows up as difficulty managing time, marked impulsivity and mental or physical hyperactivity. This makes daily life difficult for the child, and for the family too.
In practice:
Move every day: physical activity improves sleep, reduces hyperactivity and supports mood. Even a daily walk or gentle exercise can have a clear impact2.
Create clear routines: visual timers help the child “see” time passing. Some playful tools (such as alarm clocks that run away from the bedside table) force the teenager to actually get up.
Channel energy: a weighted blanket or vest, a wobble cushion in class, or a hedgehog ring (a small, discreet fidget tool) can help manage restlessness.
Reconnecting with nature: contact with animals, playing outdoors, time spent in the forest… all simple levers to calm and rebalance the nervous system.
These adjustments, often underestimated, greatly help the patient engage with the nutritional and micronutritional steps that follow.
Step 2: Rethink diet without going to extremes
Over time, several specific nutritional approaches have been proposed for ADHD: the GAPS diet (centred on the gut-brain axis), the Kousmine approach, or the Hertha Hafer diet (phosphate reduction). Each has contributed useful elements, but strict application remains difficult day to day.
Instead, consider a simple, realistic approach:
To limit: fast-releasing sugars, processed products, additives and colourings, gluten if intolerance is suspected.
To favour: seasonal fruit and vegetables, quality protein, pulses (if tolerated), nuts and seeds, oily fish and oils rich in omega-3 (rapeseed, camelina)3.
Introduce superfoods: wheat germ (vitamin B6, magnesium), goji berries, pollen, seaweed, nettle powder.
In consultation, this means adapting advice to real life: suggesting a protein-rich breakfast (organic eggs enriched with omega-3, plain yoghurt plus wheat germ), healthy snacks (tiger nuts, almonds), or a simple but balanced dinner.
The goal: stabilise blood sugar, reduce food-related impulsivity and improve cognitive availability.
Step 3: Restore microbiome balance
The link between gut and brain no longer needs proving. In patients with ADHD, digestive disorders, intestinal permeability and dysbiosis are frequently observed (often worsened by courses of antibiotics).
Rather than live probiotics (which can translocate if the mucosa is compromised), postbiotics are the ones to recommend:
These are inactivated bacteria, stabilised by heat, but still active thanks to their surface proteins and metabolites.
They offer better safety of use and easy storage, and stimulate intestinal IgA.
They support restoration of the mucosa and the resilience of the microbiome after a course of antibiotics.
In clinical practice:
In children under 12: Lactibiane Premium.
In teenagers or adults: Symbiod’Or (Parinat), combining postbiotics, green clay, biotin, apple fibre and glutamine in peptide form.
In cases of marked anxiety or agitation: combine with Calme (saffron plus lemon balm), to reduce cerebral hyperactivity and improve serotonin levels.
Step 4: Support neurotransmitters through micronutrition
Deficits in dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin explain a large part of the symptoms (inattention, impulsivity, reduced motivation). Targeted micronutrition can rebalance these pathways.
Practical table: useful supplements in ADHD
Active / supplementClinical targetPractical points / precautionsL-tyrosineMotivation, concentrationDopamine/noradrenaline precursor. Avoid in the evening.L-theanine (green tea)Relaxation, cerebral hyperactivityGentle anxiolytic support, suitable for children.Bacopa monnieriMemory, learningImproves acetylcholine, also useful in adolescents.OPC (maritime pine bark)Impulsivity, hyperactivityBelgian study: effect comparable to methylphenidate in 88 children. Combine with Bacopa for inattention.MagnesiumRestlessness, sleepSustained release or transdermal (baths/feet).Zinc, ironCommon deficiencies in ADHDCheck iron status before supplementing.Methylated vitamin B6-B9-B12Neurotransmitter metabolismActive form better tolerated.Vitamin D3Overall health, moodYear-round supplementation if needed.Vitamin C (acerola)Overall support, oxidative stressCan be combined with other micronutrients.
Combining formulations intelligently
Claudia Vigier points out that efficacy comes mainly from the right combinations. Mentium, which combines bacopa, theanine and postbiotics, is particularly well suited to improving concentration, calming cerebral agitation and supporting memory.
In addition, French OPC (a maritime pine bark extract rich in OPC) showed, in a randomised, double-blind Belgian study (88 children), efficacy comparable to methylphenidate on hyperactivity and impulsivity. The combination of Mentium and French OPC therefore covers the three pillars of ADHD: impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention.
For more anxious patients, Symbiod’Or (postbiotics plus glutamine peptides) combined with Calme (saffron and lemon balm) helps to calm the nervous system while rebalancing the gut-brain axis.
Finally, supportive products such as Vegavital (methylated B complex) or Lab Catalyse (oyster extract, rosemary and trace elements) optimise cellular energy production and neurotransmitter metabolism.
In clinical practice
Patient profileRecommended combinationImpulsivity, motor restlessnessOPC + theanineInattention, cognitive difficultiesBacopa + methylated B vitaminsAnxiety, sleep disturbanceCalme (saffron, lemon balm) + magnesiumFragile digestive terrainSystematic postbiotics (Symbiod’Or, Lactibiane Premium)
Key points
ADHD is a neurobiological disorder, not simply a behavioural problem. Support must be holistic and personalised, following a 4-step approach:
Optimise lifestyle and environment
Simplify and rebalance diet
Restore the microbiome with postbiotics
Support neurotransmitters through targeted micronutrition
Protocols must stay realistic for the family, to ensure adherence and continuity over time.
With Simplycure, you have access to practical tools and validated formulations to turn these principles into tailored protocols. Browse our online catalogue or contact us directly to see how to bring these solutions into your practice!
