Alright, let’s dive into the world of probiotics… it can be fairly daunting. Everything these days claims to have “added probiotics” or “stimulates gut health with probiotics” or “contains natural probiotics”. However, unlike many other nutrition fads, probiotic research is very promising and can play a role in the nutritional treatment of ADHD.
First, what in the world is a probiotic?
There are a lot of bacteria that naturally live in our body. Probiotics are the good bacteria/yeasts in the body. We also have bad bacteria that live in the body. Having more good bacteria in the body helps to eliminate bad bacteria, leading to less infections and better health. Having a higher proportion of probiotics in your microbiome can be beneficial for several reasons!
Now, what’s a microbiome?
Let’s think of your microbiome as your community. Lots of different types of microbes (people) live within your body (community). These microbes include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. Each person's microbiome is completely different.
What do probiotics do within my microbiome?
Probiotics help to maintain homeostasis (balance) within your body. Probiotics can slow or stop bad bacteria growth, help your body digest food, support the cells that prevent bad bacteria from making you sick and even help with the breakdown and absorption of medication!
Where can I get some probiotics?
While probiotic supplements are available, probiotics are also found in the food we eat!
Probiotics can survive in the intestine after being eaten and are safe to consume! Commonly eaten foods that contain probiotics include yogurt, sourdough bread, aged cheese, fresh sour dill pickles, kombucha and tempeh. However, be careful when choosing yogurt as not all yogurt contains probiotics- be sure to look for yogurt that “contains live and active cultures”.
So I understand probiotics? But I’ve also heard about prebiotics, what are those?
Prebiotics are basically fuel for your body's good bacteria (probiotics). Prebiotics are found in fiber, and are beneficial to the probiotic bacteria in your gut. Eating a high fiber diet that contains prebiotics can help promote probiotic growth and health. Prebiotics are found in many fruits and vegetables, and they are highest in the following: apples, bananas, berries, artichokes, barley, flaxseed, legumes, tomatoes, onions, wheat and soybeans.
And how can probiotics be beneficial to my child with ADHD? What does the research say?
To understand how probiotics may help with ADHD, we first need to understand how probiotics may influence brain health. The research in this area is still young, meaning that there are not a lot of large studies over a long time span. Nonetheless, researchers have found promising results to recommend the use of probiotics to promote brain development. A systematic review by Cerdo, et al. of probiotic, prebiotic and brain development research explored the impact of probiotics on the gut-brain microbiome and how it in turn affects brain development. The key points are summarized below.
- The rapid colonization of the gut with beneficial bacteria that occurs during the first three years of life overlaps with the period of rapid development of the brain.
- Recent research has shown communication pathways between the brain and gut microbiota.
- An imbalance of the gut microbiota (such as having too much bad bacteria) can negatively affect development of the brain during childhood, leading to increased impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention in children.
- Future research looks to be promising in determining which mechanisms of probiotics affect the brain development and the role of pre- and probiotics in ADHD.
While the reason and causes of ADHD are still widely unknown, many researchers seek to find factors that may play a role in the development and progression of neurological disorders. Gut dysbiosis in children and adults has been associated with ADHD. A systematic review of 208 articles published by Bull-Larsen, et al. in 2019 indicates a potential influence of the gut microbiome on the progression of ADHD. The findings of the review are summarized below.
- In a study with mice, decreasing the numbers of bacteria in disease free mice resulted in neural (brain) cells that matured less rapidly. The conclusion was that the microbiome, gut and central nervous system may play a hand in the development of ADHD.
- Researchers also found that microbes in the gut can influence the inflammatory neural (brain) cells, which is important because neuroinflammation is often found in patients with ADHD.
- The study also found much variation when looking at environmental factors and the prevalence of ADHD, proving that the cause for ADHD is still widely disagreed upon.
A consistent finding in research is that the ADHD population has a different gut microbiota composition compared to the standard population. In a small study of 35 adults and children with ADHD, individuals who received a probiotic supplement reported higher health-related quality of life compared to the placebo group (Kumperscak, et al. 2020). However, more research is needed to determine the cause of this difference and if it is a contributing factor to ADHD symptoms. Most researchers agree there is a link between brain development and gut microbiome development and reiterate the need for further studies to determine the extent that the microbiome plays in ADHD and determine the benefit of probiotic use on symptoms of ADHD.
So should I give my child food with probiotics?
Research still needs developing to establish a solid foundation on the knowledge of how probiotics can affect ADHD. However, we know that good bacteria (probiotics) in the gut microbiome play a role in brain development. Aside from benefiting brain development, other benefits of probiotics include improved digestive processes, decreased risk of sickness/infection, and improved immune system health.
While research on the influence of probiotics upon ADHD symptoms is limited, use of probiotics in all populations has been proven to be safe and have health benefits. Future research is promising and in the meantime, probiotics have plenty of benefits aside from the reduction of symptoms related to ADHD. The use of probiotics in all populations, including those with ADHD, is safe and beneficial.
References
Cekici, Hande, and Nevin Sanlier. “Current Nutritional Approaches in Managing Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review.” Nutritional Neuroscience 22, no. 3 (March 4, 2019): 145–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2017.1358481.
Cerdó, Tomás, Alicia Ruíz, Antonio Suárez, and Cristina Campoy. “Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Brain Development.” Nutrients 9, no. 11 (November 14, 2017): 1247.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111247.
Kumperscak, Gricar, Ulen and Micetic-Turk. | A Pilot Randomized Control Trial With the Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG (LGG) in ADHD: Children and Adolescents Report Better Health-Related Quality of Life | Psychiatry.” (March 17, 2020): Accessed October 7, 2020. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00181/full.
Kechagia, Maria, Dimitrios Basoulis, Stavroula Konstantopoulou, Dimitra Dimitriadi, Konstantina Gyftopoulou, Nikoletta Skarmoutsou, and Eleni Maria Fakiri. “Health Benefits of Probiotics: A Review.” ISRN Nutrition 2013 (2013). https://doi.org/10.5402/2013/481651.
Bull-Larsen and Mohajeri. “The Potential Influence of the Bacterial Microbiome on the Development and Progression of ADHD.” (November, 17 2019): Accessed October 7, 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893446/.