How The PS128 Probiotic Can Alleviate ADHD

ADHD is a complex disorder which can involve issues with attention span, memory, task completion and focus, along with behavioral elements such as hyperactivity and impulsivity. People with ADHD can find these symptoms to be disruptive to their everyday life, and can be difficult to manage without intervention.

The options to address symptoms of ADHD are usually medication, psychological therapy and developing skills to help manage the condition’s affect on your life. However, did you know that symptoms of ADHD can also be alleviated by harnessing the gut-brain connection?

The Gut-Brain Connection and ADHD

Our gut and brain influence each other through the Gut-Brain axis (GBA), a bidirectional channel of communication between these two organs. The composition of our gut microbiome is strongly linked to our mental wellbeing, as the gut is responsible for producing almost 90% of our serotonin and 50% of our dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are two important neurotransmitters which are known as our ‘happy hormones’, as they are crucial to our mood and wellbeing. Therefore, a disrupted gut microbiome could lead to disrupted mental wellbeing.

The gut brain connection for mental health

Serotonin and dopamine are linked to many mental health concerns, with current research indicating levels of these neurotransmitters could be reduced in brains with ADHD. Therefore, supporting your brain's neurotransmitter production can be one way to alleviate symptoms of many mental health conditions, including ADHD.

How to Support the Gut for ADHD

As the gut and brain are connected and influence one another, supporting the diversity of your gut microbiome can be a natural and effective way to support the gut-brain connection, boost neurotransmitters and alleviate symptoms of ADHD. One way to support your gut health is through the use of probiotics, which are known as ‘good bacteria’. By adding specific strains of good bacteria in your gut, you can diversify your gut bacteria, and provide the GBA with what it needs to boost your mood and wellbeing.

How PS128 probiotics act on the gut to improve ADHD

Probiotics are present in many dairy products and fermented foods, such as kimchi, kefir and yogurt. However, specific strains of probiotics can also be isolated and taken as a supplement. There are many different types of probiotic supplements available; however, not all probiotics are equally effective in supporting the GBA and boosting mental wellbeing.

Which Probiotics Can Help With ADHD?

One strain which has been shown to alleviate symptoms of ADHD is the PS128 strain of Lactobacillus Plantarum. PS128 has been extensively studied in 18 clinical trials, and has been proven to act on the Gut-Brain connection to boost production of serotonin and dopamine. Due to its ability to stimulate the GBA, PS128 has been shown to alleviate symptoms of ADHD, making it a great option for anyone wanting to manage the condition naturally.

PS128 And ADHD: Clinical Studies

One interesting thing about PS128 is that it has been clinically studied for a variety of conditions, showing improvements in symptom severity and wellbeing. Not all probiotics are studied to this extent, making PS128 one of few evidence-based probiotics available.

PS128 has been clinically proven to reduce ADHD symptom severity in children aged 5-18 years old. This study showed that after taking PS128 for two months, scores in the SNAP IV, and CPT-2, two clinical assessments for ADHD had improved significantly.

The SNAP IV and CPT-2 are often used to evaluate symptom severity for children with ASD and ADHD, and evaluate a variety of emotional, social and behavioral symptoms. These two assessments are evidence-based and used by many Psychiatrists and Doctors.

Evaluating symptoms using these two assessments means that children were accurately assessed before and after taking PS128. After taking PS128 for a period of time, symptoms including inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity and oppositional behavior all reduced significantly compared to the placebo group.

If you want to read more about studies about PS128 for a variety of conditions, click here.

Why Try PS128 for ADHD?

Many foods and products contain probiotic strains, but only the PS128 strain has been shown to improve ADHD symptoms. PS128 is also backed by over 18 clinical studies in a range of patient groups, and has even been shown to be more effective than other probiotics in improving mental wellbeing.

Aside from being studied to show significant improvements in symptom severity in children with ADHD traits, the PS128 strain: