Probiotic Prevents ADHD and Autism
Right now in America more than 6 million children carry a
diagnosis of ADHD. I think it is fair to say that autism has become an epidemic
when you consider that, today, as many as 1 in 40 male births will ultimately
be diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
So aside from hoping that effective treatments will be
developed, there’s no question that we have to wonder what may be causing these
issues, and if that can be determined, what can be done to fix the problem. One
thing that has been clearly supported in research is a relationship between
what goes on in the gut and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders like
these mentioned here. Bowel issues are common in ADHD and are seen almost
universally in autistic children.
Certainly, front and center in research these days is the
understanding that the gut bacteria, part of the human microbiome, plays a huge
role in terms of brain health and function. As such, researchers in Finland
decided to explore the possibility that changing the microbiome might be
associated with a reduced risk for both ADHD and autism.
At age 13 years, ADHD, or autistic spectrum, was diagnosed
in 17.1% of the children in the placebo group and none in the group receiving
the probiotic.
The conclusion of the study humbly stated:
probiotic supplementation early in life may reduce the
risk of neuropsychiatric disorder development later in childhood…
This is quite a study. The researchers were able to
demonstrate that just receiving one specific species of a probiotic virtually
eliminated the development of either ADHD or autistic spectrum in those
children receiving this intervention. I would agree that further study is
necessary, but even this preliminary study demonstrates the profound potential
moving forward for actual medical utilization of a probiotic regimen to prevent
a brain disorder.
Keep in mind that this study was begun 14 years ago at time
when researchers were just beginning to get a taste of the importance of gut
bacteria as they relate to the brain.