Research suggests that the community of bacteria and other microbes parked inside your intestinal tract have a strong influence on your mental health and may even play a significant role in neurodevelopmental disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Those microbes in your belly — which scientists refer to as the gut microbiome — influence your mental health via the gut-brain axis, a communication network connecting the gut, brain, and nervous system.There are ongoing studies examining the link between gut bacteria and ADHD in hopes of finding new microbiota treatments for people with ADHD, which affects more than 7 percent of children around the world.
Although the research has a long way to go, experts have already discovered a few things about the relationship between ADHD and gut health.
Studies show that people with ADHD have a different composition of bacteria and other microorganisms in their gut than people who don’t have ADHD.
“Some of the most compelling evidence comes from studies where the gut microbiome of humans with ADHD is transferred to mice, with those mice then exhibiting behavior and brain changes compared with mice who received gut microbiome from [people without ADHD],” says Andrea E. Cassidy-Bushrow, PhD, a senior scientist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, who has studied the relationship between the gut microbiome and ADHD.
In a separate study, Dr. Cassidy-Bushrow and her colleagues studied the gut microbiota of 314 infants by examining their stool samples at 1 month and 6 months of age. They examined them again after 59 of the children had been diagnosed with ADHD by age 10. The researchers found distinct differences in the gut microbiome of the children with ADHD when they were infants compared with children without ADHD.
“Our study showed that these gut microbiome differences may start in infancy, with children at age 10 with and without an ADHD diagnosis having different gut microbiomes in the first 6 months of life,” says Cassidy-Bushrow.
“Larger studies are needed … to suggest hypotheses for if — and perhaps how — the gut microbiome impacts disease development,” says Sarkis Mazmanian, PhD, a medical microbiologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and an adviser to Seed Health, a company that manufactures live biotherapeutic products.
Future research is also needed to shed light on whether interventions that alter the gut microbiome — such as probiotics, supplements, and some foods like yogurt that contain live beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms — can help people with ADHD manage their symptoms. Currently, we don’t have enough information, says Cassidy-Bushrow.
“When we understand that better, we will be better able to potentially design probiotics that can influence the gut microbiome to have a healthier composition and function,” she explains.
Even though more evidence of a connection between the gut microbiome and ADHD is needed, it’s possible to improve your gut health now, which will in turn boost your overall mental and physical health. After checking with your doctor, take the following steps.
1. Eat a Plant-Rich Diet
Although no diet can change the course of ADHD, certain eating patterns may make managing your symptoms easier.
For example, one study of 134 children in the United States linked a diet higher in fruits and vegetables with reduced inattention and emotional dysregulation.Similarly, other research has revealed that vegetarian diets promote a healthier gut microbiome than diets containing meat.
Don’t want to become a vegetarian? According to Dr. Mazmanian, you don’t have to. Simply fitting more plant foods into your daily diet will improve your gut health. “Just as there is no one universally healthy microbiome, there is no one-size-fits-all ‘perfect’ diet,” he explains.
Key nutrients to include:
Diverse sources of plant fibers and polyphenols (good-for-you compounds in plants), such as colorful vegetables, walnuts, pomegranates, berries, and green tea
Fiber and microbiome-friendly carbohydrates, such as those in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beans, and sweet potatoes
Omega-3 and monounsaturated fatty acids from foods like salmon, sardines, avocados, and olive oil
In general, minimally processed foods low in sugar, saturated fats, preservatives, and food additives
2. Prioritize Your Sleep
It’s probably no surprise that adequate sleep keeps ADHD symptoms in check — a lack of sleep can worsen ADHD symptoms like hyperactivity and impulsivity. But did you know that sleep may be crucial for gut health, too? Research shows that good sleep is associated with more diverse healthy bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut.The trouble is that people with ADHD tend not to get enough sleep. The advocacy and support group Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) estimates that about 3 out of every 4 kids and teens and 4 out of 5 adults with ADHD have a sleep disorder.
To enjoy better sleep each night:
Aim to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Avoid caffeine late in the afternoon or evening.
Turn off your phone and other electronics before bedtime.
Try to keep your bedroom’s temperature between 60 and 67 degrees, which many doctors recommend as the ideal temperature for a comfortable sleep.
If you’re still having trouble sleeping, be sure to let your doctor know. Sleep disorders are treatable health conditions.
3. Get Enough Exercise
Moderate to intense aerobic exercise can improve executive functioning and working memory in ADHD.Research shows that it also has positive effects on the composition of the gut microbiome.How much exercise is enough to make a difference? As little as 20 to 30 minutes a day, say CHADD experts.
Types of aerobic exercise you could try, with your doctor’s approval, include:
Walking
Running
Dancing
Swimming
Cycling
4. Spend Time in the Great Outdoors
Being in nature is beneficial to both mental health and the gut microbiome, says Mazmanian.
One study found that exposure to bacteria in nature improved both gut health and behavior among preschool-age children.Another study found that regular time in nature and green spaces reduced symptom severity and improved concentration among kids with ADHD.
Research suggests that the community of gut bacteria in people with ADHD may differ from the gut bacteria of people without ADHD.
These studies could also be helpful for advancing new and improved treatments for ADHD symptoms.
While more research is needed on the gut microbiome-ADHD connection, people with ADHD can improve their gut health — and, potentially, gastrointestinal symptoms — by eating more plant-based foods, getting enough sleep and exercise, and spending more time in nature.
Additional reporting by Andria Park Huynh.
