For people with neurodivergence, pharmaceuticals can help manage or reduce symptoms. People with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for example, may benefit from medication that helps them focus.
Increasingly, scientists are also seeing benefits to nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals (a combo of nutrition and pharmaceutical) are dietary supplements that provide vitamins or minerals. Nutraceuticals might not replace medication, but researchers are finding they can help people with neurodivergence reduce their symptoms.
Can Supplements Help Autism?
People with autism, particularly children, don’t always get the nutrition they need. For some people with autism, this can be due to a preference for a limited diet. But it can also be a result of malabsorption issues or food allergies, says James Adams, a professor at Arizona State University and the director of the Autism/Asperger’s Research Program.
In a 2021 study in the Journal of Personalized Medicine, Adams and his co-authors conducted a survey that rated the perceived benefits of supplements. About 85 percent of the survey respondents were caregivers for someone with autism.
