I recently read an interesting story in the New York Times Magazine titled “Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong?” by Paul Tough. He points out that today, 11.4 percent of children in America have been diagnosed with A.D.H.D., and for 17-year-olds, it goes up to 23 percent. That certainly seems like an epidemic! The rest of the article describes the dilemmas and controversies regarding the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. He also points out that treatment with stimulants is a double-edged sword because although individuals often feel better, they usually don’t function any better with the medications. I think I know the clear pathway out of this bog.
The Diet-Brain Connection
A remarkable study was published in 2011 suggesting that a restrictive diet helps reverse A.D.H.D. symptoms in many patients. However, over the ensuing decades, this message has been largely lost, so today, dietary recommendations for A.D.H.D. are similar to the diet recommended for the general population—eat a healthy, whole-food diet. I believe I can take this diet-brain connection a few steps further. Years ago, at the beginning of the obesity epidemic, I realized that obesity is defined as excess body fat, so I purchased equipment to measure the body composition of every patient at every visit for decades. Over time, I noticed a strange association between specific brain dysfunction symptoms and changes in body composition, and the symptoms always seemed to precede these changes. This suggested that the brain calls the shots when it comes to fat storage. I also worked with a company that developed urine tests for monoamine neurotransmitters—the chemicals your brain neurons use to talk to each other. Healthy individuals usually don’t spill many of these valuable chemicals in their urine. Still, when I gave these urine tests to patients undergoing glucose tolerance tests, their urine would fill up with monoamines after an oral glucose load. This appeared to be a pathological response to a rapid blood glucose spike, and over time, this could lead to depletion of brain monoamine neurotransmitters. When do folks going about their lives experience this type of glucose spike? After consuming ultra-processed food loaded with high glycemic carbohydrates, sugar, and omega-6 fatty acids.
A New Revolutionary Disease Model
It finally dawned on me that this fits the pattern of a disease that I named Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain Syndrome or CARB Syndrome. I identified 22 brain dysfunction symptoms associated with this disease, including poor impulse control, excessive mood swings, internal restlessness, easy distractibility, and short-term memory problems. These symptoms overlap with typical A.D.H.D. symptoms.
I now believe that most people currently diagnosed with A.D.H.D. only have one disease–diet-induced CARB Syndrome. They might also have some genetic predisposition to developing this pattern. I find it interesting to note that classic A.D.H.D. patients feel better taking stimulants, but their performance often does not improve. Patients with CARB Syndrome inappropriately store excess body fat even if they aren’t classically obese. Studies have shown a connection between A.D.H.D. and obesity, but the experts have yet to unravel this connection. I am dedicated to solving this dilemma.
Fix Your Brain and Everything Gets Better
I find it interesting to note that patients with CARB Syndrome and obesity feel better when they take the weight-loss drug Phentermine, a stimulant-type drug. That’s because the drug suppresses the intense cravings for the sweet and starchy food that is frying their brain. Phentermine has been used off-label to treat A.D.H.D., but what they are treating is their underlying CARB Syndrome. If you have been diagnosed with A.D.H.D. and your history fits this pattern, I recommend you take these important steps:
- You must suppress your cravings for ultra-processed food and runaway hunger drives using a precursor supplement like CARB-22. Start with two capsules twice daily and then slowly increase up to four capsules twice daily. If you are taking an SSRI-type medication, do not take more than two capsules of CARB-22 daily and keep the dose of the medication low.
- Take extra L-glutamine to suppress carb cravings. Start with 500 mg twice daily and increase as needed. There is no maximum dose of L-glutamine.
- Take enough high-quality omega-3 to get your AA/EPA ratio between 1 and 3 to suppress excess inflammation. I take OmegaRx2 from Barry Sears of Zone Diet fame.
- Exercise regularly, including five days of aerobic exercise and two days of strength training weekly.
- Significantly reduce or eliminate ultra-processed foods and follow a Mediterranean-style diet.
- My friend Richard Johnson recommends limiting fructose intake to no more than 25 grams daily from any source.
- Consider adding a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication like Wegovy for no longer than 2-3 months. At that point, taper the drug and continue the supplements.
- Regarding supplements, I highly recommend reading “Head First”by my friend David Tomen.
If you follow my plan, your A.D.H.D. will melt away, dramatically improving your brain function. As a bonus, you will lose excess body fat without traditional dieting. Please let me know your results in the comment section if you have followed my recommendations.
Edited by Andy Steinfeldt
