Answer
Short Answer:
- Seeking cure is part of the tradition of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). He was also known for liking good health and encouraged people to ask Allah (SWT) for it FREQUENTLY and on a DAILY basis as shown in the duas of the morning and evening.
- Healthwise, the best thing to do is to improve your diet, and eat a balance of ALL foods: nuts, seeds, oils, meat, fish, eggs, whole grains like brown rice, different colored vegetables, etc
- Exercise is also important; much research has linked it to improved brain health, especially endurance exercise like running, swimming, and cycling, though any exercise will help.
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Salam,
Thank you for contacting Ask About Islam with your question.
There is a cure for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Allah (SWT) created a cure for everything, so seek the cure.
Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying:
There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. (Shahih Muslim)
So seeking the cure is part of the tradition of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) was also known for liking good health and encouraged people to ask Allah (SWT) for it FREQUENTLY and on a DAILY basis as shown in the duas of the morning and evening.
As such, we should seek the cure and ask Allah (SWT) for good health because there is no might or power except by Allah.
Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi-Bakra asked his father:
I see you reading thrice every morning and every evening: ‘Oh Allah keep me well in my body, keep me well in my hearing, and keeping well in my vision. Oh Allah, I seek refuge from You against disbelief and poverty, I seek refuge from You against the punishment of the grave, there is no god but You.’ The father replied: ‘I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicating as such and I wish to follow his tradition.’ (Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani who classified it as Hasan)
ADHD is a fairly complex disorder. It is a neurological disorder in which there are chemical imbalances in the brain, the possibilities of which could be endless, this is why treatment is difficult and a full cure has not been discovered. That said, it CAN still be cured.
Research shows there is a huge link between diet and ADHD, people with gastrointestinal disorders like gluten sensitivity tend to show symptoms of ADHD and other neurological disorders, this is largely because their nutritional status is greatly affected due to decreased absorption of many nutrients.
Some health practitioners have even completely cured people with ADHD related symptoms with a healthy diet alone. Any deficiency, even just ONE essential nutrient can affect overall health, especially the brain.
As such, the first step to curing ADHD, as well as other diseases, is improving your nutritional status, mainly through food, but also using supplements to quickly rebalance any deficiencies and fill any gaps in your diet.
Taking a daily multivitamin and Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D, And Iron (because multivitamins do not contain these) is EXTREMELY important for good health. One study showed that people taking a daily multivitamin lived 10 years longer than those who didn’t!
So, what can be taken to directly improve symptoms of ADHD according to research? The first is fish oil; doctors have started using it with VERY successful results in ADHD patients; doses being around three tablespoons a day.
This also makes sense in theory because the brain of developing fetuses that lack Omega-3 do not form properly; this is because a large portion of the brain is composed of Omega-3.
Phospholipids, L-Carnitine, and Gingko Biloba have also been shown to slightly improve ADHD symptoms; all of which are naturally present in food sources or are food (the herb ginkgo).
Phospholipids, like Omega-3 in fish oil, compose a large portion of the brain as well as every cellular membrane in the body. Soy lecithin and sunflower lecithin are the most common supplement forms, about two tablespoons or 30g is a typical daily dose.
L-Carnitine is an amino acid that can be acquired through food (mainly meat and milk) or synthesized naturally from protein if consumption is adequate in the diet. Doses are 500-2,000mg daily.
Gingko has been known to improve brain health. Doses of the extract are three times per day of 40-120mg.
Other brain boosting herbs such as Ashwagandha and Bacopa in Ayurvedic Medicine are also promising cures; Ginseng in Traditional Chinese Medicine as well.
Certain nutrients have also shown a relationship to ADHD related symptoms, namely Magnesium as Zinc. Both function as anti-oxidants but also play a role in approximately 300 biochemical processes in the body each. This further emphasizes the importance of nutrition on ADHD.
There are many other compounds being studied for ADHD, though in the end they are all mostly things which should be a part of a healthy diet.
As such, the best thing to do is to improve your diet, and eat a balance of ALL foods: nuts, seeds, oils, meat, fish, eggs, whole grains like brown rice, different colored vegetables, etc.
Exercise is also important; much research has linked it to improved brain health, especially endurance exercise like running, swimming, and cycling, though any exercise will help.
Hope this has helped. May Allah grant us all good health insha’Allah.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
https://aboutislam.net/science/faith-science/prophetic-medicine-message-par-excellence/