Gut Microbiome Link To ADHD Reinforced In Scientific Review
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Scoop
07-07-2025
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Global Review Finds Mediterranean Diet May Play Key Role In Managing ADHD
It's the superhero of the nutrition world, and now a scientific review has shown the potential power of the Mediterranean diet to help manage the symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The recently published review by the University of the Sunshine Coast is one of the first to directly research the benefits of the Mediterranean diet – with its high intake of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and extra-virgin olive oil – versus unhealthy diets typically high in sugar, additives and saturated fats, to lessen ADHD symptoms. UniSC Psychology researcher Naomi Lewis said the novel review examined all available global evidence on the key nutrients and dietary patterns implicated in ADHD, and linked the findings to underlying biological mechanisms such as gut imbalance and inflammation. 'We found strong evidence that diet and nutrition may be more important than we think when it comes to managing ADHD symptoms and providing protective benefits,' she said. The study builds on earlier findings by the researchers on the role of diet in brain-gut inflammation pathways in ADHD, that an imbalance of good versus bad gut microorganisms may impact the severity of symptoms. 'What we eat plays a big role in the health of our gut microbiome, which are the trillions of bacteria and other microbes in our digestive system that help support brain and overall health,' Ms Lewis said. 'When these microbes become imbalanced, it can affect our physical and mental wellbeing, including possibly making symptoms of ADHD worse. This is because an imbalanced gut can lead to harmful states such as inflammation that can affect how the brain functions. 'A diet high in fibre, healthy fats such as omega-3s, and antioxidants helps good bacteria in our guts to thrive, whereas too much sugar, saturated fat, and other components of a highly processed diet could promote harmful bacteria and inflammation.' UniSC Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics Dr Anthony Villani said the Mediterranean diet was under-researched in ADHD, with a lack of robust trials investigating dietary strategies in its management. 'Most research to date has focused on elimination diets, with very limited exploration of the Mediterranean diet,' Dr Villani said. 'We know from other studies that children and adolescents with ADHD – a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity – tend to have poorer diets, compared to those without. 'These diets are often highly processed and at risk of being deficient in certain nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and B vitamins, known to support optimal brain functioning. 'Following a Mediterranean-based diet has great potential to help improve ADHD symptoms by improving gut health and lowering inflammation as it is rich in anti-inflammatory foods and fibre such as olive oil, fruits, vegetables and fish." While medications are the most common treatment for managing symptoms of ADHD, they are associated with side effects and many people do not respond effectively. 'While it's not a cure for ADHD, a Mediterranean-based diet, as well as targeted supplements, may help some people better regulate ADHD behaviours more effectively. It's a low-risk, affordable option worth considering,' Dr Villani said. The researchers recommend clinical trials to determine the clinical utility and effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in ADHD management.
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- RNZ News
How often should you turn off your phone and devices?
By Amy Sheehan , ABC Lifestyle Switching devices off and on is a reset, and can also improve battery life. Photo: Public domain Explainer: When was the last time you powered down your phone or laptop? If you're like me, the work laptop is switched off at the end of most workdays, unless I'm rushing out the door. When it comes to the phone, not so often. We asked two technology experts how often we should be turning off our phones and devices, and the risks to battery life and our data if we don't. Senior lecturer in computer sciences at the University of the Sunshine Coast Dr Erica Mealy explains we can think of device shutdowns like cleaning a messy car - relatable. "It's a bit like, you have your kids in the car, and they eat in the car and crumbs start getting everywhere," said Dr Mealy, who is from the Sunshine Coast /Kabi Kabi land. "That turn-off is like a reset, getting the vacuum [cleaner] in there and it's just getting all the crumbs out of the way. "When we reset, and turn off and turn on, generally, all of that gets cleared out." Switching devices off and on can also improve your battery life , according to Dr Mealy. "[Your device can be] running lots of things all the time and it switches in between all of those," she said. "You might notice your computer or your phone gets more sluggish, and that's just because it's trying to keep doing all of these things. "If we can shut that down, and some of the extra bits and pieces get shut down with it, then the computer can go, 'Oh, I've got less going on'." She said turning off phones and devices at least weekly was recommended to maintain good digital hygiene. "[Digital hygiene] is this idea that you don't store information you don't want to have accidentally leaked." School of Computing and Information Systems lecturer at Melbourne University Dr Suelette Dreyfus said restarting your devices at least once a week could prompt important software updates such as "patches". Patches are small bits of software that stop malware from getting into your iPhone or Android or desktop. For Windows machines, these are generally released on the second Tuesday of each month, known as 'Patch Tuesday'. "Some software checks for updates [patches] and downloads them, when the device is powered off and on, particularly when you've enabled auto-updates," Dr Dreyfus said. She said sometimes patches were released in response to an identified threat. If you want to check your device is up-to-date, Dr Dreyfus said to go to your system control panel and look for updates from your device maker - and run them. The experts say closing apps and browsers before turning off a phone or device may also be helpful for security. This also applies to private or incognito browsing, which doesn't guarantee that your data can't be found. "Your machine can keep this information temporarily in memory, while your browser window is active, even if your device is 'asleep',' Dr Dreyfus said. "Fully powering off a device should remove this material by wiping that volatile memory. "If you just put your machine to sleep... and then you never close the incognito browsing window, then third-party tracking may be alive and well." Dr Mealy said this was when you could be susceptible to hackers and data breaches. "If you've got multiple tabs open and your browser's set to reopen them when you come in [or turn it back on], sometimes it might not completely clear everything out," she said. We should change our passwords as often as we're changing our toothbrushes, every three months or once a season, Dr Mealy says. "It's annoying, and it's the kind of thing you have to set a reminder for but it can really help in making sure that passwords [which] have been leaked aren't being reused," she says. Dr Dreyfus also recommended changing your device settings to auto-install manufacturers' patches/updates as soon as they were released. "That simple tweak can save you weeks of heartache from having to clean up device infection," she said. It is also recommended to set up multi-factor authentication - a security measure that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, such as an online account or application. "You need to dip into the settings for all your valuable online accounts and turn it on," she said. "Yeah, it's going to take you 15 minutes to set up but then smooth sailing." - ABC
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Scoop
Gut Microbiome Link To ADHD Reinforced In Scientific Review
The link between a gut imbalance and symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder has been further supported by a University of the Sunshine Coast scientific review. More >>
