What You’ll Learn in This Post

• What new research reveals about the connection between ADHD, gut health, and nutrition

• How gut bacteria influence inflammation, neurotransmitters, and brain communication

• Why fiber, protein, and fermented foods are essential for a balanced gut-brain connection

• Practical ways to support your microbiome for improved focus 

ADHD, Gut Health, and Nutrition: What We’re Learning

Exploring the ADHD–Gut Health Relationship

More people are starting to talk about the link between ADHD and gut health—and for good reason. New research is showing that what happens in the gut may influence how the brain manages focus, energy, and mood.

A 2025 review published in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry ↗  examined how gut microbiome imbalance—dysbiosis—may contribute to inflammation and brain-signaling changes associated with ADHD. The authors reported differences in certain bacteria, including Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium, which help regulate inflammatory pathways and communication along the gut-brain axis. Taken together, these findings add to growing evidence that gut health and brain function are closely linked. 

A recent article in Psychology Today ↗ shared similar findings, highlighting that people with ADHD often have fewer of the helpful bacteria that protect the gut lining and more of the kinds that can stir up inflammation when they get out of balance. This shift in the gut environment may influence how the brain processes signals related to attention and emotional regulation. 

It’s still early science, but the pattern is becoming clear: the gut and brain are connected in ways that can affect how we think, feel, and focus. When the gut is well supported, the brain’s communication systems work more efficiently—helping promote mental clarity and balanced energy throughout the day.

How the Gut and Brain Stay in Constant Conversation

The gut and brain communicate through an intricate network known as the gut-brain axis. This pathway involves nerves, hormones, and immune signals that keep both systems in constant contact.

One of the main players in this network is the vagus nerve—a kind of information super highway running between the digestive tract and the brain. The gut also produces many of the same neurotransmitters that influence mood and attention, including serotonin and dopamine. 

JBB Gut Fact: The gut produces more than 90 percent of the body’s serotonin! 

When the microbiome is balanced, it helps regulate inflammation and supports the production of these important messengers. When it’s disrupted—by stress, lack of sleep, or poor diet—the connection between the gut and brain weakens, influencing overall cognitive and emotional function. 

Nutrition, Gut Health, and ADHD

Nutrition is where the science of the gut-brain connection becomes everyday practice. What we eat shapes the gut microbiome—and, in turn, influences how the brain functions.

For people managing ADHD, this link highlights how nutrition may influence attention regulation and emotional balance.

When the gut microbiome is diverse and well-nourished, it produces short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which strengthen the gut lining, reduce inflammation, and support communication between the gut and brain.

A nutrient-rich diet gives the gut what it needs to keep those signals strong.

Feeding the microbiome with whole, unprocessed, fiber-rich foods and fermented options strengthens the relationship between the gut and brain and helps maintain that steady line of communication that supports attention and emotional balance. 

Building a Gut-Supportive Diet for ADHD

Once we understand how strongly nutrition influences the gut-brain connection, the next step is putting that knowledge into practice. A gut-supportive diet focuses on foods that nourish beneficial bacteria and support optimal communication between the gut and the brain.

For people managing ADHD, that means creating meals built around balance—fiber to stabilize blood sugars and curb sugar cravings, protein for neurotransmitter support, healthy fats for sustained energy, and fermented foods for microbial diversity. Together, these nutrients help maintain the internal environment that supports attention, motivation, and emotional steadiness. 

Fiber: The Microbiome’s Favorite Nutrient

Fiber is fuel for the gut. The beneficial bacteria living in our digestive system depend on it for survival.

Unlike most nutrients, fiber isn’t fully digested in the stomach or small intestine. Instead, it reaches the colon, where those good bacteria break it down and use it as energy. This process—known as fermentation—produces short-chain fatty acids that strengthen the gut lining, calm inflammation, and support the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function and mood stability.

Fiber deficiency deprives beneficial microbes of sufficient nutrients, leading to an unbalanced microbiome. A diet rich in beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains helps keep this ecosystem healthy and active.

For most people, even those who are not managing the complexities of ADHD, getting enough fiber can be challenging. Adding just better.® prebiotic fiber to meals, drinks, and snacks provides extra support—feeding the good bacteria that help maintain balanced blood sugars and smoother energy levels throughout the day. 

Protein and Healthy Fats for Brain Function

Protein provides the amino acids the brain uses to make dopamine and norepinephrine—the chemical messengers that influence alertness and motivation. Pairing protein sources like eggs, beans, or Greek yogurt with healthy fats from avocado, nuts, or chia seeds and a source of fiber—such as vegetables, berries, and just better.® prebiotic fiber—helps stabilize energy and sustain focus.

Fermented Foods for a Balanced Microbiome

Fermented foods such as plain yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut naturally contain beneficial bacteria that strengthen and diversify the gut microbiome. These foods help reinforce the gut lining and enhance nutrient absorption—two key elements in maintaining a healthy gut-brain connection.

Regularly including fermented foods in your meal plan supports microbial diversity and overall gut resilience.

Hydration and Routine Matter, Too

Hydration plays a quiet but essential part in gut and brain health. Water helps fiber do its work, supports digestion, and assists with nutrient transport throughout the body.

For those managing ADHD, hydration can sometimes be inconsistent, but even small improvements make a difference. Pairing water with meals or snacks, or choosing naturally hydrating foods like fruits and vegetables, helps support both gut function and mental clarity without overthinking it. 

What This Means for Daily Life

The Psychology Today article makes a simple but powerful point: “If you want to improve your attention deficit, try pampering your good microbes. To keep them happy, feed them fiber.” 

ADHD looks different for everyone, and there’s no single path that works for all. Still, gut health is an important part of helping the brain function at its best. Supporting the microbiome through gut-healthy nutrition strengthens communication throughout the body and lays the groundwork for a more centered, resilient body-mind connection.

As our founder, Kristin, always reminds us: “All Health Begins in the Gut.”

When we feed the gut, we feed the brain—nurturing the systems that help us think clearly, feel balanced, and show up at our best each day. 

Live… just better.®! 

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Friendly Note: We love sharing fiber facts and healthy living tips, but please note that this content is for informational purposes only—it is not intended as medical advice.  The health benefits of this product have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.