There is increasing public and research interest in the role of nutrition in brain health and specifically in ADHD and neurodivergent conditions. Recent advances have presented the notion of nutrition as an epigenetic neuromodulator, and the role of DNA methylenation in the etiology of ADHD. Nutrition is a modifiable factor in DNA methylation, a process which regulates gene expression. Low intake of specific nutrients as well as gut microbiota function can alter DNA methylation patterns and further research is needed to explore these complex relationships. This study presents nutritional and psychological data from a community UK sample of children and adults (Mean age: 13.53 years) with ADHD and neurodivergent conditions.

The results present a range of nutritional insufficiencies in key nutrients which facilitate neurotransmitter function and, which are deemed as brain-essential, namely omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, B-vitamins and Vitamin D. Furthermore, significant negative associations were
found between some of these nutrients and ADHD symptom severity, e.g., red blood cell (RBC) magnesium was negatively correlated with the Conners Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) Disruptive Behaviour scores, (rho = -0.597, p = 0.024), the omega-3 index scores and the
CPRS Learning Language Disorder scores, (rho = -0.601, p = 0.018), indicating as omega-3 decreased learning and language difficulties increased and, RBC magnesium which was negatively correlated with and, the overall ADHD symptom severity indicator scores (rho = -
0.612, p = 0.02), implying that the greater the severity of ADHD symptoms, the lower the magnesium.

Additional analyses revealed that this clinical cohort also presented with a range of food intolerances with over 80% of participants presenting with high reactivity scores to cow’s milk, other dairy, and casein, and just over half the sample intolerant to wheat and wheat
gluten. The findings of which are discussed in relation to evidenced-based, symbiotic relationships between gut microbiome and food cravings/choices. This is a novel study which presents preliminary but promising nutritional insights in ADHD and warrants replication and
continued work in the field of nutritional psychiatry in larger sample sizes with age- and sexmatched non-diagnosed controls.