What is Dopamine?
If you’ve been hanging out in ADHD communities or reading ADHD books and blogs or watching ADHD TikTok, there is not doubt you’ve heard the word dopamine.
You’re dopamine levels are low
You need to boost your dopamine.
Dopamine. Dopamine. Dopamine.
Ok, I get it. Dopamine is important when it comes to ADHD.
But what is dopamine? Where does it come from? What does it do? How can I get more of it?
If you’re ever wondered about these questions, read on as we discuss what dopamine is, why it’s important, and ways you can increase it.
What is dopamine?
Ok, so let’s start at the very beginning.
Dopamine is neurotransmitter or a chemical messenger in your body that helps neurons communicate with each other and process information. It is derived from the amino acid L-tyrosine.
Most notably, dopamine is responsible for helping you recognize pleasure or reward.
But it doesn’t create the pleasure or sense of reward…It’s more like it signals to the brain that a certain activity makes you feel good and you should probably do it again sometime.
So because dopamine is released when you’re laughing with friends, eating your favorite meal or engaging in your favorite activities, you will often repeat those behaviors over and over because they have stimulated the release of dopamine in the past.
In other words, dopamine helps motivate actions by reminding you about the pleasure this particular behavior has previously invoked.
Along with motivating behaviors, dopamine is also associated with bodily functions like movement, lactation (that was a new one for me when I was researching this), and executive functions like memory, behavior, learning, attention, and mood regulation.
These executive functions take place in a part of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex. And the neurotransmitter that helps carry messages in the prefrontal cortex is…drumroll please…dopamine.
After the dopamine is done doing its job, it hops in a dopamine transporter and heads back to the nerve cell that originally released it in a process called dopamine reuptake. And the cycle starts all over again.
Great. Now that we have bit of understanding as to what dopamine is and what it does (or what it’s supposed to do), let’s talk about it’s relation to ADHD. Specifically…
Is ADHD dopamine deficiency?
And the answer is “well, sort of, kind of in a way yes but we’re not exactly sure.”
Let me explain…
Deficiency is a lack or shortage of something.
Dysfunction is an abnormality or impairment in the function of a specified bodily organ or system.
ADHD could be due to deficiency or a shortage of dopamine in your system, meaning you have less available to do what dopamine does.
ADHD could also be a dysfunction due to the faster dopamine reuptake levels ADHDers experience leaving them with less available dopamine and a kind of crash after they receive that sweet reward they worked hard for.
So honestly, as of now, research shows that it could be little of column A, a deficiency in the amount of dopamine available, and a little of column B, a dysfunction causing fast dopamine reuptake levels and less available dopamine where you need it.
But don’t despair! Just because you may have a little less dopamine than your neurotypical counterparts or the dopamine you do have may not stick around very long, there are answers to the question…
How Can I Increase Dopamine?
Let’s finish up by discussing ways you may be able to boost production or availability of dopamine in your system.
How Eating Tyrosine Rich Food May Help Increase Dopamine
Since the amino acid tyrosine is the main building block necessary for making dopamine, it would make sense that including more of this amino acid in your diet would help to increase the amount of dopamine in your system.
More research does need to be done to confirm how much additional L-tyrosine you need to see results. But based on this list of L-tyrosine rich foods, it’s not like adding them to your diet would have other potential drawbacks. They include:
Almonds, apples, avocados, bananas, beets, chicken & other poultry, chocolate, dairy foods, green leafy vegetables, green tea, lima beans, oatmeal, oranges, peas, sesame and pumpkin seeds, soy, tomatoes, turmeric, watermelon and wheat germ.
Which Supplements May Help Increase Dopamine
There are several supplements suggested that can impact your dopamine production.
And as with almost anything new you’re going to put into your body, be sure to consult with your doctor or medical provider before starting any sort of supplement regiment.
With that said, here are some supplements that may help increase your available dopamine levels…
L-Tyrosine – This is the same amino acid we talked about finding in foods. And while there is very little research pointing to whether L- Tyrosine supplementation specifically impacts ADHD, there is research showing that L-tyrosine supplementation did help improve task switching abilities and improved working memory when completing mentally demanding tasks. Both of which are executive functions.
L-Theanine – Like L-tyrosine, there isn’t a ton of actual research yet on how l-theanine can impact ADHD symptoms. We do know that l-theanine helps increase the brain’s production of dopamine, so take from that what you will. I did find a study from 2021 which suggested l-theanine may help improve working memory and executive function by improving focus and your ability to pay attention.
Vitamin B6 – Plays a key role in the creation of neurotransmitters like dopamine and it is thought to help l-tyrosine convert into dopamine. Typically you will get the recommended amount through your diet but if you do become deficient, it could lead to brain fog and overall poor mental performance.
Omega 3 fatty acids – A promising study from 2015 found the boys with and without ADHD improved their inattention when supplemented with Omega 3s but there’s yet to be an explanation as to why
Vitamin D & Magnesium – A 2021 study of ADHD children found that 72% had both vitamin D (which we mentioned above) and magnesium deficiency. After 8 weeks, participants given the supplements showed a reduction in emotional, conduct, and peer problems as compared to those that received the placebo. But as with many of these supplements, more research is needed.
How Exercise Can Help with Dopamine Production
Now I have said for a while that, in my opinion, exercise is far and away the BEST way to treat your ADHD.
It increases the blood flow in your brain which can improve memory.
It helps improve brain plasticity and your ability to learn.
It releases endorphins which help with mood regulation.
AND it increases dopamine production as well as dopamine receptor density, meaning there are more places for the increased dopamine your are producing to stop off and send messages to your executive function like “pay attention” or “let’s get started”.
How ADHD Medication Can Help Stimulate Dopamine
Now, I am not here to debate the pros and cons of stimulant medication for ADHD. I believe that is a personal choice and conversation between you and your doctor.
But since we are talking how to regulate your dopamine levels, I would be remiss if I didn’t a least explain how ADHD stimulant medications work in relation to our conversation about dopamine.
There are 2 major types of dopamine stimulating medications:
The methylphenidate family, commonly known as Ritalin, will slow down dopamine reuptake into your system, meaning you have more available for executive function.
The amphetamine and dextroamphetamine families, aka Adderall, stimulate the central nervous system into releasing additional dopamine and other neurotransmitters into your system.
There are other prescribed medications that help to improve your ADHD symptoms but since they are not directly related to dopamine, I didn’t include them here today.
But if you’re interested in learning about non-stimulant options, I recommend talking to your doctor.
And to wrap up, there’s a few more dopamine inducing activities you can try if you’re struggling to focus or jump start your executive function…
Get outside and get some sun
Take a cold shower
Listen to music you love
Try meditation (it helps, believe me!)
Start creating a list or “dopamine menu” of the things that bring you joy so you can boost your dopamine when you’re just not feeling it.
Hopefully I’ve helped you to better understand what dopamine is and how it impacts your brain and your life as someone with ADHD.
And if you’re looking to use your dopamine more efficiently and finally follow through to create the success you know if possible, I’d love to help. My programs are specifically designed to support the unique needs of ADHD mom entrepreneurs. To learn more about how I may be able to support you, click below to book your free, no-obligation clarity call.
