How to Treat ADHD by Replenishing Nutrients— Dual Board-Certified Psychiatrist

An estimated 7 million American children aged 3–17 years have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, and over 50 percent of them (roughly 3.5 million to 3.8 million) are currently taking medication. But there’s a safe, effective, inexpensive, and simple way to help treat ADHD: replenishing nutrients.

Correcting a child’s unique nutritional imbalances,

is integral to effectively treating his or her ADHD symptoms, according to Dr. James Greenblatt, MD, a dual board-certified psychiatrist and internationally recognized pioneer in functional and integrative psychiatry who is widely regarded as the leading expert on the clinical application of low-dose lithium for mental health.

“Children with ADHD often present with low zinc, high copper, and/or high lead levels,” says Dr. Greenblatt. “Since zinc, copper, and lead directly affect the brain, these children suffer from inattention, aggression, hyperactivity, and learning problems. Correcting nutrient imbalances through supplementation is a safe and effective strategy to reverse attentional and behavioral symptoms.”

Dr. Greenblatt explores this further in his book, Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD That Restores Attention, Minimizes Hyperactivity, and Helps Eliminate Drug Side Effects (revised and updated edition coming in August 2026). Additionally, the new book, Finally Hopeful: The Personalized, Whole-Body Plan to Find and Fix the Root Causes of Your Depression by James Greenblatt, MD with Bill Gottlieb, CPHC, reimagines mental health care by blending cutting-edge psychiatry with nutritional science, holistic medicine, and personalized healing strategies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. James Greenblatt, MD, is a dual board-certified psychiatrist and internationally recognized pioneer in functional and integrative psychiatry. Widely regarded as the leading expert on the clinical application of low-dose lithium for mental health, Dr. Greenblatt has spent more than 30 years advancing precision-based approaches that move beyond symptom management to address the root causes of mental illness.

After earning his medical degree at George Washington University, Dr. Greenblatt completed his psychiatry residency there and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School. He currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine.

A prolific author, Dr. Greenblatt has written nine books, including his newest book, Finally Hopeful (available January 2026), and the bestsellers Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD, Answers to Anorexia (updated edition, 2021), Functional & Integrative Medicine for Antidepressant Withdrawal, and Nutritional Lithium: The Untold Tale of a Mineral That Transforms Lives and Heals the Brain—the definitive guide to lithium’s role in psychiatry.

In 2019, he founded Psychiatry Redefined, a leading educational platform training clinicians worldwide in functional and integrative psychiatry. A sought-after international speaker, Dr. Greenblatt regularly lectures on nutritional psychiatry and the transformative role of functional medicine in mental health.

Dr. Greenblatt was a featured panelist at Harvard’s 1st Inaugural Seminar on

Nutritional Lifestyle & Metabolic Psychiatry in October 2025.