Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jun;44(2):300-307.
doi: 10.1002/npr2.12437. Epub 2024 Apr 16.

A systematic review of the beneficial effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on ADHD

Pooneh Allahyari  1 , Saheb Abbas Torki  2 , Bahareh Aminnezhad Kavkani  3 , Zahra Mahmoudi  3 , Mohadeseh Sadat Mousavi Hoseini  4 , Mahdi Moradi  5 , Farkhondeh Alami  6 , Mohammad Keshavarz Mohammadian  3 , Samira Bahoo Sele Bani  7 , Khadijeh Abbasi Mobarakeh  8 , Hanieh Shafaei  9 , Sara Khoshdooz  9 , Azadeh Hajipour  10 , Saeid Doaei  11 , Maryam Gholamalizadeh  12
Affiliations

A systematic review of the beneficial effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on ADHD

Pooneh Allahyari et al. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from probiotics and prebiotics, but the effects are unclear. To determine whether probiotics and prebiotics affect children with ADHD, a systematic review was conducted.

Methods: The present systematic review analyzed cohort studies and randomized controlled trials that examined whether prebiotics and probiotics are associated with ADHD. Seven randomized controlled trials and two cohort studies met our inclusion criteria.

Results: Research on Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) probiotic supplementation showed that children with ADHD had better emotional, physical, social, and school functioning, and a higher health-related quality of life compared to the placebo group. The studies also showed that Synbiotic 2000 reduces markers of intestinal and vascular inflammation in children with ADHD, in part through increasing SCFA levels.

Conclusion: The use of probiotics and prebiotics as adjuvants therapy in patients with ADHD is beneficial. Further studies with longer duration, including more participants and a variety of age groups, and using various evaluation techniques such as in vivo observation are required to examine the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; Synbiotic; gut microbiota; prebiotics; probiotics; short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of the included studies, including identification, screening, eligibility, and the final sample.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pärtty A, Kalliomäki M, Wacklin P, Salminen S, Isolauri E. A possible link between early probiotic intervention and the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders later in childhood: a randomized trial. Pediatr Res. 2015;77(6):823–828. - PubMed
    1. Arteaga‐Henríquez G, Rosales‐Ortiz SK, Arias‐Vásquez A, Bitter I, Ginsberg Y, Ibañez‐Jimenez P, et al. Treating impulsivity with probiotics in adults (PROBIA). 2020. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kumperscak HG, Gricar A, Ülen I, Micetic‐Turk D. 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. Front Psych. 2020;11:181. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Furman L. What is attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? J Child Neurol. 2005;20(12):994–1002. - PubMed
    1. Härtel C, Spiegler J, Fortmann I, Astiz M, Oster H, Siller B, et al. Breastfeeding for 3 months or longer but not probiotics is associated with reduced risk for inattention/hyperactivity and conduct problems in very‐low‐birth‐weight children at early primary school age. Nutrients. 2020;12(11):3278. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms