ADHD & How Anyone Can Improve Their Focus

About this video

Huberman explains attention deficit hyperactivity disorder alongside normal focus, stressing that focusing and ruling out distraction are separate capacities and that diagnosis should be made by a psychiatrist, physician, or well-trained clinical psychologist rather than by self-diagnosis. He notes that smartphone use, he argues, can induce adult ADHD-like symptoms. Huberman covers drug-based tools, behavioral tools, diet and supplementation, and emerging brain-machine approaches such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. On diet, Huberman reports that the neurologists and psychiatrists he consulted advised that children with ADHD avoid high sugar and simple sugar foods as much as possible, and he discusses controversial elimination or oligoantigenic diets and the Pelsser et al. Lancet paper from 2011. Huberman also discusses omega-3 fatty acids, describing intakes of one gram or more of EPA as associated in his account with mood and cardiovascular benefits. He closes by noting a tool he says takes just one 17-minute session to enhance focus thereafter.

Key takeaways

• Huberman stresses that ADHD diagnosis should be done by a qualified clinician, not self-diagnosis.
• Huberman explains that focusing and excluding distraction are separate, trainable capacities.
• Huberman reports clinicians he consulted advised limiting simple sugars for children with ADHD.
• Huberman discusses diet studies suggesting some children can reduce symptoms substantially through dietary changes.
• Huberman describes omega-3 EPA intake as part of his discussion of diet and focus.

Episode details: published September 13, 2021 · 7.4M views · 2:18:01 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

← Previous: Healthy Eating & Eating Disorders - Anorexia, Bulimia, Binging · Next: Psychedelics for Treating Mental Disorders | Dr. Matthew Johnson →

All Andrew Huberman videos · Andrew Huberman profile · Huberman Lab (official site)