Hello everyone! If you aren’t on my Instagram you maybe didn’t see this, but I took the last three weeks off from work to completely reset. Honestly, my brain fog has been a bit haywire (comes with stress), and it was really needed. BUT, I’m back, and I’m ready and raring for another amazing year. I have so much planned, and I’m excited to take all of you on the ride.

One of those things are more solo podcast episodes - this week breaks down magnesium spray - do the claims hold up to the evidence? More on this at the end of the newsletter!

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Before I get into more about the topic, I want to remind you that my work is 100% supported by my Patreon members and people who purchase my digital collections. This collection is the one I’m most proud of, and it is available for only $33! 👇️ (P.S. if you become a member, this already unlocks for you 😉)

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Let’s talk antioxidants

Antioxidants are one of the most important aspects of nutrition from a health perspective (beyond, you know, basic balanced diet principles). But what are they, and why exactly are they important?

So, here’s the deal: antioxidants are like the body’s clean-up crew, taking care of these annoying little things called free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that run around causing damage to your cells, which can lead to things like inflammation, aging faster than you’d like, and even diseases like cancer or heart issues. Not great, right?

So what do antioxidants actually do? They stabilize free radicals by donating an electron, basically neutralizing them before they can cause chaos. This process reduces something called oxidative stress (fancy term for when free radicals overwhelm your body’s defenses), which is linked to a ton of chronic conditions, including ADHD. Think of it as putting out little cellular fires before they become a full-on blaze.

On top of that, antioxidants help keep your immune system strong (vitamin C and E are MVPs here), slow down some of the effects of aging (hello, glowing skin!), and may even help prevent serious stuff like cancer and Alzheimer’s. (You can read those studies for more info on that).

Where do you get these magic molecules? Fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and even your morning coffee or tea are loaded with them. Some of the big hitters are vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, flavanols, and polyphenols.

Bottom line: Antioxidants are doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work to keep your body running smoothly. Think of them as your personal health bodyguards—quietly keeping you safe from all the invisible drama happening inside.

So how does ADHD fit into this?

Well, if you watched this Instagram reel of mine on magnesium, you know that people with ADHD are extremely susceptible to oxidative stress, and it can play a role in the pathophysiology of ADHD symptom manifestation - in other words, the more neuroinflammation you have in the brain, the worse symptoms you tend to experience.

So, duh, eat your fruits and veggies!

But did you know that people with ADHD need to eat MORE antioxidant-rich foods than the general population?

Yup. I’m serious. That’s the study we’re going to be going over today.

Link to the study

Basically, when we weed out all that mumbo-jumbo, this study found that even though people with ADHD eat statistically the same amount of antioxidants, their markers of antioxidant defenses in the body are decreased, suggesting that the we have a diminished ability to combat oxidative stress comparatively.

Regarding the MDA levels, that does indicate that there was still a protective element at play for oxidative stress. ENTER: medication. Essentially, despite many claims out there that stimulant meds (i.e., methylphenidate/Ritalin) induce more oxidative stress in the brain, we find the opposite information in the literature.

For example, this is one of my favorite studies that essentially proved that ADHD medication improves markers of oxidative stress! I would be so curious to see a future study replication study on the one I detailed above, except with non-medicated ADHDers. My assumption is that their MDA levels would be statistically significantly different since the protective effect of medication wouldn’t be present.

So, what does this meaningfully mean to me?

Really, at the core of it, you need to eat more plants.

Sorry, but it’s true.

Plants are the best sources of antioxidants. The more diverse plants you can eat, the better! Bonus - if you remember the last newsletter, the more different plants you eat, the happier and more diverse your gut microbiome is. The good thing to remember is that it’s not that difficult once you start to get the hang of it. My advice?

Focus on the 4 S’s: Soup, Salad, Sandwiches, and Stir-fry. Here’s a sneak peak from one of my resources that can help you get started! The rest of the content will help you get an even easier push into the amazing world of realistic diet diversity 🙂 

Thanks for reading!

If you have any thoughts, questions, or comments, be sure to shoot me a DM on Instagram @Nutrimindcoach or simply reply to this email. I LOVE hearing from you!

This week on the Nutritional Mental Health Podcast: The Truth About Magnesium Spray - What Evidence Is There? I’ve been bombarded by ads for magnesium spray and it sounded amazing - but as a scientist first, I always ask, “What is the evidence for these claims?” Teaser: there’s not much. That being said, I detail a study around the 22m mark that is CRUCIAL for you if you’re pregnant! Trust me - it’s probably going to be the best research you hear all day.

P.S. I’m still navigating YouTube - I have the video format of this episode done, but my computer doesn’t have the space to download it! Off to get a flashdrive…