Tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome, are complex neurological conditions. Many look beyond medications and wonder whether supplements might play a role in easing symptoms. At Mighty Kids, we believe that nutrition plays an important role in calming the ‘brain orchestra’ and keeping signals in balance.

What Are Tics?

Tics are sudden, repetitive muscle movements that result in body jolts or sounds that cannot be controlled. They may come and go, often getting worse with stress, excitement, or fatigue.

Common examples include:

• Motor tics (movements): eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, facial grimacing, head jerking, or hand movements.
• Vocal tics (sounds): throat clearing, sniffing, grunting, humming, or repeating words.

Most children experience simple tics that may last weeks or months and then fade away. But when tics last for more than a year and include both motor and vocal tics, doctors may diagnose Tourette syndrome.

Note: Tourette’s is one type of tic disorder, but not all kids with tics will develop Tourette’s.

Why Tics Happen

Tics are linked to how the brain sends and balances its signals.

To help us understand why tics happen, it is useful to think of the brain as an orchestra, where chemical messengers (called neurotransmitters) act like instruments. Tics happen when the orchestra music isn’t perfectly balanced because some signals are too loud, and other signals are too quiet.

Imagine the following brain signals as instruments in the orchestra:

• Dopamine = Trumpets (energetic and sometimes too loud)
• Norepinephrine = Drums (fast and sets the tempo)
• Glutamate = Violins (adds energy and complexity)
• GABA = Bass (deep and calming rhythm)
• Serotonin = Woodwinds (smooth and gentle harmony)

In tic disorders, the trumpets, drums, and violins often drown out the bass and woodwinds. This creates a unique performance where certain signals may stand out as sudden movements or vocal tics. The goal of treatment is to help all the musicians work together in harmony, producing a balanced and coordinated brain symphony

What Increases the Risk of Tics?

Tics are neurological and influenced by both genetics and environment. Risk factors include:

• Family history – Tics often run in families.
• Stress and anxiety – Emotional strain can worsen tic frequency.
• Deficiencies in key nutrients – Research shows children with tic disorders may have lower levels of magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D.

Standard Medical Treatments for Tics

Most tics in children are mild and do not need medical treatment; many improve with time, reassurance, and coping strategies are often enough. However, if tics are severe or interfering with daily life, doctors may recommend medication or behavioural therapies.

Doctors often prescribe medicines that act to turn down the volume of specific instruments:

• Antipsychotics (e.g., risperidone, haloperidol) → Quiet the trumpets (dopamine)
• Alpha-2 agonists (e.g., clonidine, guanfacine) → Quiet the drums (norepinephrine)
• VMAT2 inhibitors (e.g., tetrabenazine) → Quiet the trumpets (dopamine)

These medicines focus on individual ‘instruments’ directly calming hyperactive signals that drive tics. But what if there was a way to keep all the instruments balanced and in time, rather than just targeting individual instruments? This is where supplements comes in!

A Natural Supplement-Based Approach: How Mighty Kids Helps

Even for children with mild or less severe tics, there are ways to gently support the nervous system. Supplements like magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3 help balance brain signalling, reducing the frequency or intensity of tics.

Think of supplements as giving the brain’s 'orchestra' a little extra guidance; they help the instruments play in harmony. Using supplements can help children feel calmer, more focused, and better able to manage daily activities, while also supporting overall brain and body health.

Magnesium: The Brain's Orchestra Conductor

While medications fine-tune specific instruments, magnesium acts like the orchestra conductor, coordinating the whole performance. It doesn’t just quieten one section; it helps every section of the brain orchestra play in harmony. With magnesium leading the ensemble, the overall symphony of brain activity becomes smoother and more balanced, leading to fewer tics.

How Magnesium Can Help: Mechanisms Explained

Mighty Kids Magnesium can be found here (age 1-12) and here (age 13+).

What Does the Evidence Say?

Clinical Evidence

• García-López et al., 2008: In 10 children with Tourette syndrome, magnesium + vitamin B6 reduced tic severity scores after 90 days.
• García-López et al., 2009: Planned placebo-controlled trial (results pending).

Self Reported Improvements

Research is one part of the picture, but the best feedback comes from the families that have already tried our magnesium for Tic Disorders. Here are a few of their experiences:

Summary of Magnesium

Because magnesium is safe, well-tolerated, and fundamental for healthy brain function, many clinicians view it as a simple but powerful addition to a child’s care plan. While it’s not a 'magic fix', the evidence suggests that optimising magnesium levels can help create a calmer, more balanced foundation for the nervous system, which, in turn, may ease the burden of tics

Mighty Kids Magnesium can be found here (age 1-12) and here (age 13+).

What About Other Supplements?

Vitamin D – The Soloist Supporting the Ensemble

Vitamin D acts as a soloist, elevating the overall performance from within.

• Systematic review has shown lower vitamin D levels are frequently observed in children with tic disorders.
• Reference: Xiaoxia et al. (2023)
• A study in 120 children with chronic tic disorder compared to controls showed an improvement in tic with vitamin D supplementation.
• Reference: Li et al. (2019)

Mighty Kids Vitamin D3&K6 can be found here.

Vitamin B6 – Teaming Up to Harmonise the Orchestra

Imagine your brain orchestra getting a special duo: Vitamin B6 helps empower the bass (GABA) and woodwinds (serotonin).

• A study in 34 children (ages 4–17) with Tourette’s or chronic tic disorders found that supplementation with both L-Theanine and Vitamin B6 reduced tic and anxiety severity more than psycho-education alone.
• Reference: Rizzo et al. (2022)

Vitamin B6 can be found in our Multivitamins Mini (1-12) here and Mighty (13+) here.

Zinc – Fine-Tuning the Trumpets

Zinc plays a key role in regulating dopamine, making sure the “trumpets” don’t overshoot their notes.

• Research indicates that children with tic disorders show lower zinc levels compared to healthy controls.
• Studies in neurodevelopment consistently highlight zinc’s importance in cognitive and motor function and regulation of neurotransmission.
• Reference: Qian et al. (2019)

Zinc can be found in our Multivitamins Mini (1-12) here and Mighty (13+) here.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Strengthening the Rhythm Section

Omega-3 boosts the brain’s ability to manage tics, leading to smoother, more coordinated performances.

• A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that omega-3 reduced tic-related impairment, helping with daily functioning.
• Studies consistently show omega-3s exert neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting overall brain resilience and function.
• Reference: Gabbay et al. (2012)

Mighty Kids Vegan Omega-3 can be found here.

Summary

Tics can be stressful for both children and families, but there are gentle, science-backed ways to support the nervous system. Mighty Kids supplements are specially formulated to help children’s brains maintain balance, reducing the frequency and intensity of tics while supporting overall health.

Why parents choose Mighty Kids:

• Magnesium + B6 act as the brain’s 'orchestra conductor', calming overactive signals and promoting harmony in neural activity.
• Vitamin D3 and Zinc help regulate key brain pathways, supporting focus, mood, and healthy development.
• Omega-3s strengthen the brain’s rhythm, supporting smoother nerve signalling and overall resilience.
• Safe and gentle – no harsh side effects, perfect for daily use in children.
• Whole-body benefits – beyond tics, these nutrients support immunity, energy, mood, and growth.

With Mighty Kids supplements, you can provide your child with natural, effective support that works from the inside out; helping their nervous system stay balanced, their brain signals coordinated, and their confidence strong every day.

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References

• Mayer, M. L., Westbrook, G. L., & Guthrie, P. B. (1984). Voltage-dependent block by Mg²⁺ of NMDA responses in spinal cord neurones. Nature, 309(5965), 261–263. https://doi.org/10.1038/309261a0
• Grimaldi, B. L. (2002). The central role of magnesium deficiency in Tourette's syndrome: Causal relationships between magnesium deficiency, altered biochemical pathways, and symptoms relating to Tourette's syndrome and several reported comorbid conditions. Medical Hypotheses, 58(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1054/mehy.2001.1481
• García-López, R., et al. (2008). An open study evaluating the efficacy and safety of magnesium and vitamin B6 as a treatment of Tourette syndrome in children. Medicina Clínica, 131(18), 689–691. https://doi.org/10.1157/13129637
• García-López, R., et al. (2009). New therapeutic approach to Tourette Syndrome in children based on a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind phase IV study of the effectiveness and safety of magnesium and vitamin B6. Trials, 10, 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-10-16
• Liu, L., et al. (2013). Epidemiological investigation of tic disorders among pupils in the Shunde Longjiang area, and their relationship to trace elements. Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi, 15(8), 657–660. PMID: 23965880
• Rizzo, R., Prato, A., Scerbo, M., Saia, F., Barone, R., & Curatolo, P. (2022). Use of nutritional supplements based on L-theanine and vitamin B6 in children with Tourette Syndrome, with anxiety disorders: A pilot study. Nutrients, 14(4), 852. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040852
• Qian, R., Ma, Y., You, L., Zhao, Y., Li, S., Shen, J., Jiang, L., Yang, C., Jiang, P., Yuan, Z., Gao, F., & Mao, S. (2019). The blood levels of trace elements are lower in children with tic disorder: Results from a retrospective study. Frontiers in Neurology, 10, 1324. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.01324
• Gabbay, V., Babb, J. S., Klein, R. G., Panzer, A. M., Katz, Y., Alonso, C. M., Petkova, E., Wang, J., & Coffey, B. J. (2012). A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ω-3 fatty acids in Tourette's disorder. Pediatrics, 129(6), e1493–e1500. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-3384
• Xiaoxia, L., Jilong, J., Xianrui, C., & Yanhui, C. (2023). Vitamin D status and tic disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 11, 1173741. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2023.1173741
• Li, H. H., Xu, Z. D., Wang, B., Feng, J. Y., Dong, H. Y., & Jia, F. Y. (2019). Clinical improvement following vitamin D3 supplementation in children with chronic tic disorders. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 15, 2443–2450. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S212322