Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can suffer debilitating symptoms, including problematic behaviour and sleep. Dietary manipulations may be a helpful treatment option for children, but the most effective are highly restrictive, with little known about why they might work.~Optimising gut bacteria may help alleviate some of the symptoms of this condition via the gut-brain-axis. The consumption of a probiotic fermented drink (kefir) can positively influence composition of gut bacteria.~The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of supplementation of a probiotic drink (kefir) on behaviour, sleep, attention and the gut microbiome in children diagnosed with ADHD.~In a six-week randomised controlled double-blind, placebo controlled trial, 70 children diagnosed with ADHD (aged 8-13 years) will be randomised to be given either a probiotic drink (kefir) or a placebo drink. At the beginning and the end of the study a combination of questionnaires, cognitive assessment, sleep/physical activity measures and microbiome analysis will be employed to assess the effect of kefir consumption on symptoms of ADHD and the gut microbiome.
This randomised, placebo controlled trial explores the effects of supplementation with a probiotic drink (kefir) in children diagnosed with ADHD on behaviour, sleep, attention and the gut microbiome.