Quora Answer: How has the keto diet affected your ADHD symptoms?

Since the keto diet has helped me manage ADHD symptoms, I felt absolutely qualified to answer the following question in July:

How has the keto diet affected your ADHD symptoms?

Even before I knew about the “keto” diet, I was following something like it and have been for over 20 years. The most impactful thing I’ve done to manage my ADHD is to consume more fat. The brain NEEDS fat. For this reason, I recommend that people with ADHD try the keto diet or something close to it. (Modify as needed. Your mileage may vary.)

A medically-controlled version of the ketogenic diet that involves measuring food and nutrients has been used to treat epilepsy and other neurological disorders for decades.

Some people with ADHD benefit from the intermittent fasting aspect of ADHD, too. It’s something worth testing out. We tend to need regular fuel with fat and protein, but if intermittent fasting works for you, then do it. I think intermittent fasting is more for people who do the keto diet for weight loss, as intermittent fasting forces the body to use fat for energy. Note: Intermitted fasting is NOT forgetting to eat. The former is intentional. The latter is an ADHD trait. No joke. It’s easy for us to be underweight, too, because we burn calories doing our dopamine-boosting activities and also fidgeting, and then we forget to eat, and we burn too many calories.

The key is to experiment, listen to your body and see what works. When you find what works, stick with it.

Worth emphasizing: Essential fatty acids are crucial, which means eating fatty fish and/or taking fish oil. If you’re vegan, then pumpkin seed oil or a marine plant source would work, too. Fish is best, though.

Hope this helps.

Originally published on September 14, 2018. Imported to this website. Please forgive any wonky formatting.