ADHD Sufferers are 50% More Likely to Have Gut Problems

The link between ADHD and gut problems is well known—and it seems to be stronger than anyone suspected.

People with ADHD (attention-deficit, hyperactive disorder) are almost 50 percent more likely to suffer gastrointestinal problems, a major review from the University of Warwick has discovered.

There’s a 58 percent higher rate of irritable bowel syndrome in ADHD sufferers, and encopresis, or loss of bowel control, is four times more likely. Sufferers are also twice as likely to have constipation.

The researchers analysed data from 1.9 million people, aged from two to 65, from 23 countries—and although the gut connection is very real, they aren’t sure what’s driving it. There are several possibilities, they say: ADHD-related traits such as impulsivity and irregular eating patterns may influence digestive health, while ADHD drugs can produce gastrointestinal side effects, including constipation.

Another possible factor involves the gut microbiome. Previous evidence has linked ADHD with differences in gut bacteria, which may influence communication between the digestive system and the brain through the vagus nerve, one of the body’s major pathways connecting the gut and brain.

But the possibility that the MMR jab interferes with the gut and escalates the possibility of autism—postulated years ago by gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, who was disbarred for his research methods—wasn’t considered by the researchers.

Around 5 percent of children and 3 percent of adults suffer from ADHD.