Iron and ADHD

Main Chapters:
00:00 Intro – Iron and ADHD
00:12 Take home message
01:16 What is Iron?
07:02 Links Between Iron and ADHD
11:14 Risks of Too Much Iron in the Body
13:43 Conclusion

Hemoglobin contains three-quarters of the iron in your body shunting oxygen to cells in exchange for carbon dioxide, but iron also has very important roles in the brain, including being essential for manufacturing dopamine and norepinephrine.

More than two dozen studies in children have found an association between low iron levels and ADHD symptoms. A few studies suggesting that for kids with ADHD and low iron, iron supplements can result in improvements in ADHD symptoms.

Does that mean everyone with ADHD should be jumping for iron supplementation? Absolutely not. Iron is very tightly regulated in your body, because too much can be a problem as well as too little.

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https://medium.com/wise-well/how-much...

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References:
Exploring the links among brain iron accumulation, cognitive performance, and dietary intake in older adults: A longitudinal MRI study (2025)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

Brain tissue iron neurophysiology and its relationship with the cognitive effects of dopaminergic modulation in children with and without ADHD (2023)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...

The Role of Iron and Zinc in the Treatment of ADHD among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials (2021)
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/11/...

Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium Status in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (2020)
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/19/...

Brain iron levels in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder normalize as a function of psychostimulant treatment duration (2019)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...

Full Chapter list:
00:00 Intro – Iron and ADHD
00:12 Take home message
01:16 What is Iron?
01:46 What is Heme? (Haem)
02:54 Roles of Iron in the Body
03:57 Iron Production / Storage / Measurement
07:02 Links Between Iron and ADHD
09:00 Iron Supplementation and ADHD
11:14 Risks of Too Much Iron in the Body
13:43 Conclusion

Correction:
03:28 Tyrosine, not Tryptophan

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Psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author John Kruse, MD, PhD presents practical, actionable, well-researched information about treatment options that scientists and clinicians recommend for adult ADHD and other mental health conditions.
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