I have a few friends who have kids with ADHD, so this study piqued my interested.  The study explores the correlation between zonulin and ADHD.

Zonulin is a protein found in our guts that helps regulate “drawbridges” and “trap doors” found in the gut lining. Those drawbridges and trap doors determine what’s stays in the gut and what is ready to leave the gut to be used by cells in the body.

Gluten (technically gliadin, a protein found in gluten) messes with how zonulin works and can cause these bridges and doors to get stuck open, much like the drawbridges in this photo (ok, the ones in the photo weren’t really stuck, they were all open for the semi-annual boat run in Chicago).

If your “trap doors” get stuck open, lots of things get through that aren’t supposed to get through. This is known as leaky gut or intestinal permeability.

And leaky gut can lead to autoimmune disease. Yes, genetics and environment play a HUGE role in acquiring AI disease, but, in a nutshell, that is what happens.  My point is, one thing leads to another which leads to another, which may create a whole host of health issues.

My own reaction to this study is that a gluten-free diet may help kids with ADHD. What do you think?

From the study:

RESULTS:
Children with ADHD had higher serum zonulin levels and were more impaired in social functioning compared to controls. The level of zonulin was independently predicted with hyperactivity symptoms and SRS scores in regression analysis.

CONCLUSION:
In this sample of children with ADHD, elevated zonulin levels were associated with increased symptoms of hyperactivity and impairment of social functioning.

Full abstract of the study here for those curious:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30414552

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