Micronutrients (EmpowerPlus, Daily Essential Nutrients)
CAM (complex of micronutrients, theorized as missing from the typical western diet)
- ADHD (core symptoms, irritability, emotion regulation)2
- Autism (children and adults, overall symptoms including language, tantrums, hyperactivity)2
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation1
Features
Dosing
Doses usually higher than directions on bottle:
- ADHD and DMDD: Daily Essential Nutrients: 4 TID (start 1 TID, raise by 1 every 2 days) or EMPowerplus Advanced: 4 BID (start 1 BID, raise by 1 every 2 days)
- AUTISM: ANRC-Essentials Plus: Up to 4 TID in adults (dose by body weight on package for children; start low and raise over 4 weeks)
Management
Low risk but expensive. They provide nutrients that are stripped away by industrialized farming and processed food, so eating a healthy Mediterranean style diet may do the same thing.
There are also trials in depression and bipolar but they were not placebo-controlled.
36 ingredients (16 minerals, 14 vitamins, 3 amino acids and 3 antioxidants). Seven of those ingredients are known to help either bipolar disorder (inositol and magnesium) or unipolar depression (vitamin B6, B12, folate, chromium, and L-methionine). Most of the remaining ingredients in EMPowerplus would be found in an average multivitamin.
EMR Text
ADHD
Micronutrients recommended based on multiple randomized controlled trials in ADHD and practice guidelines from CANMAT and WFSBP (Johnstone JM et al, J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022;61(5):647–661).
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation
Micronutrients recommended based on a randomized controlled trial in irritability and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (Rucklidge JJ et al, J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2026).
Autism
Micronutrients recommended based on a randomized controlled trial in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (Adams JB et al, BMC Pediatr. 2011;11:111).