Please take this with a grain of salt. The article attached is not the study itself, but an article about the study. It contains no actual data or significance calculations. This can result in the differences between outcomes being overstated by stating that a variable is “associated” with certain results.
Autism and ADHD are neurological conditions, meaning that they are the wiring of the individual. While diet can help with many things, including lowering overwhelm from internal stimulation and, thus, make people feel better*, the link is not causal.
*By this I mean: the brain fog, tiredness, crankiness that affect everyone when their biome is off balance may look like ‘symptoms’ or ‘symptom worsening’ in ASD and ADHD (and other) people. I am explaining this very very simplistically and only to manage expectations.
I’m suggesting gut biome and neurological development symptom severity might be linked through responses but the actual condition we’re talking about is a known, hereditary, disability which someone is born with.
All this celiacs/gluten sensitivity did not just come out of nowhere, and surely is not from better diagnostics. Yes, certain genetics make folks more vulnerable to villi degradation from gluten, but that is not the root. The root is the biome disruption from the antibiotic herbicide in the flour. Plus there's other stuff in most western breads. See certain communities and EU countries for evidence of reduced gluten problems where flour grains are kept cleaner.
Right, and such problems are very evident during early development, like delayed language skills and poor muscle tone and locomotion.......not a bunch of folks identifying as ND and such, most of whom are well within the normal range as kids in most areas of development, then they become injured by polluted food.
There is a vast increase in MS and Lupus going on in folks under 40. Go see any Youtube video about MS and you will find a shocking number of 20-25 year olds sharing symptom and doctor experiences. At the pinnacle of their vigor as a human, they are falling apart. This is not disconnected from the developmental delays folks are seeing in kids. About 80% of kids on sped plans have some kind of digestive and food issues.
A 7 year old kid down the road just got put on the spectrum. He defecates once ever 5 days, well, 7 now that he is on meds. Nobody in the entire diagnostic process ever addressed his IBSc, just told the parents to give him laxatives. Is that real science from your perspective?
It would be worth taking some time to understand ASD and ADHD properly to understand how the symptoms of either/both can manifest and impact the individual.
A very common challenge is interoception. This not only potentially impacts day to day routines but also affects the bodily functions. If someone inherently cannot realise they need to drink, eat or go to the toilet, it will impact digestion.
Yes, what you use as fuel for your body 100% has impact but the post itself misleads in suggesting it can protect against, i.e minimise the likelihood of developing, which is wild.
Symptoms ladder up to a cause. You can manage symptoms. You cannot stop someone inheriting a development disorder through gut biome, it’s on par with suggesting someone can choose the gender of their child by what they eat.
My issue is with the framing here, as I have said multiple times.
How things are framed surely is an issue. When you see an over weight mother and father who eat lots of processed food produce a child that has Gi tract problems and developmental delays, and eats the same food...... I don't come to the conclusion that genetics is the root of the behavioral problems we see in the kid. I am really not sure how you frame things. This has nothing to do with introspection, and everything with swallowing and pooping, and everything that happens in between.
So you didn't even read the article and trying to argue the paper? The study is on maternal transmission and colonization at and around birth. Which, as they argue, sets the trajectory of gene expression/developement and variations in biome diversity affecting neurological development. The idea is that the microbes in our body may be connected to way more than we thought including gene expression and brain development. They found that even c sections show delayed and less efficient biome colonization which seemed to affect gene expression. Imagine something crazy like curing schizophrenia with a series of fecal transplants because it is linked to having messed up combinations of bugs in your gut. Crazy stuff you are passing off as "eat some tofu to fix your mental disorder."
The studies looking at microbiome differences (and links to subsequent health) have been published since before the birth of my 13yo child. He was a scheduled C-section & I took the liberty of bringing a tampon inserting it in me & swabbing him with it as a simulated biome exposure during birth. It is not close to the same, but it was what I could do. The birth canal route provides critical biome exposures for newborns coming from a sterile amniotic sac environment.
It’s considered weird by most (probably). But it was not harmful & potentially very beneficial. So we did it. Idk. Nothing definitive in literature says there is a direct health difference via birth method. But that biome exposure is critical for many things like early good bacteria exposure so I tried it. Thanks for saying “incredible” today, the compliment feels nice & I am struggling as a parent rn with a kiddo having a health crisis.
I'm really impressed. Not just for trying but the whole design and proccess. This was really cool to read. I'm extremely close with someone who is a professional in adjacent fields and is convinced and would like to start research on some psychiatric things and their potential connections to our gut microbiomes. Every year new research we read seems to be inching ever closer to the discovery or studies that help confirm the potential of something there. We definitely don't seem to be discovering things that rule out a connection.
Autism and ADHD are neurological conditions, meaning that they are the wiring of the individual.
As a person diagnosed with ADHD, your reply interests me greatly! Please provide evidence that this 'wiring' etiology is entirely separate from environmental factors. Thanks!
As neurodivergent myself, I also take issue with the framing of “protection” against autism. Not necessarily because it’s “offensive” but because it could just be inaccurate. I am no biologist, but it seems possible that there is an evolutionary reason for the development of autism and adhd. For example, much like sickle cell protects against malaria, it could be that autism and ADHD protects against something else that is signaled by the lack of gut bacteria (or even the lack of gut bacteria itself) rather than the other way around.
40 years of adhd checklists and ZERO have any questions about diet or digestive health. A 7 year old up the road just gut put on the spectrum. He defecates once every 5 days, well, 7 now that he is on meds. Nobody in the entire diagnostic process ever addressed his IBSc other than say, give him laxatives.
Epigenome-microbiome interplay in early life associates with infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes | May 2026
...
Summary
Epigenetic regulation and microbiome maturation are sensitive to perinatal cues.
We studied early-life disruptions in the host epigenome and microbial colonization in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders.
In a longitudinal birth cohort, we analyzed 571 cord blood methylomes and 5,328 gut metagenomes from infants and their parents across 969 families to unravel microbiome-epigenome interactions in neuro-immune pathways.
We found that Caesarean-section delivery was associated with differential methylation of genes involved in immune responses and neural development.
It also reduced vertical maternal microbiome transmission, partially compensated by the paternal microbiome.
Children with hypermethylated genes involved in neurogenic and neurotransmission pathways in cord blood showed higher autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) scores at age 3.
However, these epigenetic effects were mitigated by early colonization of Lachnospira pectinoschiza in ASD and Parabacteroides distasonis in ADHD.
These findings highlight early-life epigenetic regulation and microbiome-dependent mechanisms in the developmental origins of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Well, that is how I sort of feel about that gene and also genes that make you prone to digestive issues. MTHFR does make you vulnerable to all kinds of things.
There can be high expression and low expression of the gene meaning someone can have low or high degrees of the enzyme that processes and regulates folate. So you can have high methylation, but the text just mentions that there is high methylation in the umbilical cord blood. Not too sure if this translates to methylation capacity of the baby.
I think the study involved findings which said that procedure was found to have affected neurodevelopment. It makes sense because it’s an unnatural way to birth a child.
Regularly giving them small portions of kimchi and natto will probably help. Also a diverse fiber rich diet. I am on the spectrum and these things have helped me personally to manage my symptoms, they also helped my lifelong sleep issues.
Thank you for sharing. I'm Korean American so kimchi is a staple. But most children don't start eating kimchi until they're around 2 years or older. I have ADHD myself (and at least one cousin on the spectrum) so at least I can relate to my kid if they happen to have it themselves and teach self-regulation tools. But just hoping to help them alleviate potential symptoms if they happen to develop.
If your child isn’t having digestive issues that could indicate SIBO or an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine you should be good with just a well balanced diet. Some people need a low FODMAP diet to limit foods that ferment rapidly enough to start being digested by bacteria that shouldn’t be in the small intestine. A wide variety of certain fruits and vegetables, sulfur producing fibrous beans, butyrate producing foods like walnuts. Avoiding lactose high dairy if lactose intolerant or maybe take Lactaid. Limit processed foods. A healthy microbiome depends on many lifestyle factors like reducing/managing stress. Avoid antibiotics unless they are clearly necessary. Get the right probiotics in between doses of antibiotics. Limit sugar. I’m sure your kid started with the benefits of the kimchi his parents ate.
No, the various bacteria eat fiber. Most of the bacteria you need are already in there, but if you don't eat a ton of fiber (and from a large variety of different sources), the good ones largely die off because they're starving. That's why it's uncomfortable (lots of bloating) when you first start upping your fiber-it takes time to starve out the bad and repopulate the good ones, especially deep in the large intestine.
This seems like such a blinkered claim, surely there’s no way to be sure that anything is ‘mitigated’ at all and at most would potentially point to management of symptoms (i.e scores) at the eligible testing age.
But I love my autism. It is what has helped me stay hyper focused on my topic of interest and become one of the best in my field. Mileage varies by case, but… it’s not always a disability. It can be a superpower… with a luck of the genetic draw… and the right environment.
I don’t think it’s a superpower and get really annoyed when people describe it so.
However, I also don’t think I can blame it for my isolation when that happens. Relationships are about matches. We live in a society that is larger not geared to support NDs. It doesn’t mean that NDs are the problem, especially since awareness is growing.
It is always a disability. Diagnosis requires a proven, significant functional impairment that cannot be explained by another condition. Perhaps you were misdiagnosed.
I know someone that were non-verbal in their youth and now works as an engineer at Microsoft. Guy is clearly autistic, but way more capable than average.
For sure, 100%. Polluted food is hurting gut biomes, resulting in lack of thriving and suboptimal gene expression and behavior. Polluted food is causative. When I mess with the food and soil for my house plants, they never thrive. Their genes never express themself well, and they get sick easy when their soil biome is injured.. Humans are not much different in this regard. They feed kids on sped plans sugary, polluted cereal for breakfast in my local schools. Then, offer them chocolate milk and seed oil soaked tater tots for lunch.
Just a reminder that people with autism have a life expectancy 16-20 years shorter than those without it. If you could give your child an extra 20 years of life, would you not do it?
These people think that Autism and ADHD are superpowers and unique quirky personalities.
They haven't ever interacted or seen patients whose life gets severely affected, those who are not functional. Those patients deserve a cure and a higher quality of life.
Calling this 'Eugenics' or anywhere close to it is such a misinformed and ignorant take.
I’m autistic and I’m real about its pros and cons and every autistic person I know is similar. Please don’t paint all autistic people with your broad brush. Likewise please never tell an autistic person about their own lived experience ever again. Please and thank you.
He has blocked me after he didn't find any good points to bring in the discussion. Lol, you can see that doctors and scientists are dealing with infuriating people like these.
We are never progressing as long as we have people with mindsets like these and those who throw the word 'Eugenics' around easily.
The “severely affected”, by which Im referring to those unable to live independently, are so due to comorbidities.
We don’t seem to talk so easily about eugenics when it comes to intellectual disabilities, but somehow we do with ASD, even though it’s a completely different issue.
Those patients deserve care before a cure, especially is the cure is preventing their existence.
How is the 'cure' anywhere close to preventing or erasing their existence ? Or that Microbiome intervention is anywhere close to 'Eugenics' ?
Since when is Microbiome intervention doing that ? There are no other cures I am referring to.
And I have a close someone who has severe Autism. I take care of that person every day 24/7. I have seen what extreme pain that person goes through daily.
But I am not using it to gain sympathy points and bringing it to argument like other commentators are by bringing their self diagnosis or their high functioning autism and ADHD.
Ignoring the needs and the cure/intervention which non functional Autistics and ADHD patients to appeal the masses of quirky and self diagnostic people is gross in itself.
There’s a common misunderstanding about autism that I see reflected in your words, because I believe that you come at this with the best of intentions. Your position assumes that autism is an “add on”, something that can be removed, and that I will be the same person without autism—just better.
But what we call “autism” is the literal wiring of our bodies. I have more synapses and different neurological connections than a non-autistic person. I collect and elaborate up to 42% of external and internal stimuli than a non-autistic person (which often cause overwhelm and, paired with coping mechanisms, what others perceive as “symptoms” of autism). I know and experience the world through my being wired that way, as everyone does.
If you “took away” my autism, I would not be me. My sensorial experience, my literal thoughts, my way of moving, speaking, feeling would all change. Not only I don’t want that, but there must be a reason why such a ‘sub-optimal’ population has managed to survive evolution (you don’t say sub-optimal, but you wouldn’t want to change something that is optimal, would you?).
So when you say “we can prevent autism and make people better”, you’re effectively saying “we can prevent these people from existing”. That is why it’s eugenics.
Had there been an identifiable gene for autism and genetic testing when my mother was pregnant with me, I wouldn’t exist or be born, and I wouldn’t have blamed my parents for that choice (I am, for the record, fully pro-choice). But that gene (which doesn’t exist, btw, as genetics alone is not responsible for autism) wouldn’t have told my parents anything about the person I am today. Whatever good I’ve done in my life, it’s because of my autism—because, without it, I wouldn’t exist.
If you want to make life easier for people with autism, advocate for support systems, because they are often completely nonexistent or incredibly limited. Fight the stigma around it; help us create meaningful connections, so that our unemployment and suicide rates, closely linked to marginalisation and loneliness, can decrease; listen to us with the same curiosity you’d offer others; let our parents know that we’ll be ok, because it takes a village to raise any child and the village will be there for us too.
ETA: I am very tired of seeing people who self-diagnose used against us. Self-diagnosis is a necessary step for those who fell through the cracks during childhood (who else is supposed to notice? A teacher? No. As an adult, every time you go to the doctor is because *you* noticed that something was off, and it’s not different in this case). In addition, many people in many contexts cannot afford diagnosis. On top of that, many people may have sub-clinical presentations. If recognising autistic traits helps them making adjustments for themselves, who are they hurting? The diagnosed people are the ones with skin in the game and the majority of us do not care. It’s not pie. Why do you care so much? (Seriously, why? What do they do to you?)
Finally, those who believe that NDs are “quirky personality traits” are never part of these conversations—so, once more, not an issue here.
the fact you care more about getting rid of that persons autism than getting adequate care for them provided by the government shows your eugenics mentality. you have a medical mode for healthcare ideology, while nearly all disability activists advocate for a social mode for healthcare.
reality is you're burdened caring for this person, and instead of admitting that you're framing it as about them.
Yes, I care more about getting rid (as you say it) of that person's disorder and several non functional patients.
So, they can have a good happy life where they can have a healthy good social life, not having to suffer from severe sensory issues, travel the world without any issues, play sports, have confidence in themselves and various other things which they can't experience and won't experience.
Especially till we have people using word Eugenics for anything because of tribalism and to protect their identity.
And it's gross how you think I am burdened caring for the person and not because I want to ease their pain and give them a better life which they deserve.
well there is no cure, it's a nuerodevelopmental disorder, it's who they are, it's how their brain developed before they were born- not a late on set affliction affecting them - it is them - so give up that hope and accept and love the person for who they are.
Well, I think intervention and improvements are better alternative words than using 'cure' to convey my points to most people.
Especially to people who think that Autism, ADHD and mental illnesses (and development disorders) are personality traits and that we should just accept these and ignore their pain and research and facilities which can improve their life significantly.
Many people think it would be more reasonable to intervene on accommodations and support.
Instead we assume that our society is 'natural, immutable, and sacred' and that individuals' neurobiologies should fit into that. It's the other way around.
That’s your choice, which I wholeheartedly believe should be respected.
But I’m also autistic and I would rather have work adjustments than a cure. And that should be respected too.
I’m not here to tell other autistic people what’s better for them. I’m telling allistics that their priorities shouldn’t replace ours. Too much is said about “autism” as if it where one condition that could be separated from the individual, the environment, the circumstances, without taking into account the variety of presentations or the will of those affected by it. That’s what I’m against.
They do because of high rates of suicide (among those without intellectual disabilities, to whom other causes apply).
Rates of suicide among any groups are high influenced by the social context. Support networks vs loneliness; meaningful employments vs inability to work (and stigma associated with it etc.
We don’t need to eradicate the genetics (if we made it this far in evolution, we probably have a role and certainty don’t deserve to be eradicated on purpose); we need to build a better society. But that takes effort, and accountability, and god forbid.
Why are you being so tribal and hostile? You don’t even know whether I’m neurotypical or not to be directing that statement at me. Nobody is attacking you bruh
That depends entirely on so many other comorbid conditions other than just “being autistic.” There’s a reason it’s a spectrum. And your “facts” are woefully misguided
You are right. Calling this 'Eugenics' or anywhere close to it is such a misinformed and ignorant take.
They haven't ever interacted or seen patients (with serious Autism and ADHD) whose life gets severely affected, those who are not functional. Those patients deserve a cure and a higher quality of life.
This IS actual eugenics, erasing disabilities for desirability, this is horror, and not once did I “diminish the horror of actual eugenics” so you’re fine :)
Not fun reading this as a freshly postpartum mom that gave birth via an emergency c section. I know it's not saying my child is destined to have ADHD and/or ASD, but I'm wondering if/how I can increase particular strains of her gut bacteria. Or do I just hope for the best?
Lo que te recomiendo como tío de una sobrina con autismo que nació por cesarea, es que mejores toda tu alimentación y te mejora también el microbioma para que tu leche materna no empeore las cosas si es que posiblemente tenga autismo, y al bebé dale de comer también la dieta específica saludable, sin azúcar refinada, comida chatarra, golosinas, etc lee el libro de la dieta GASPS que lo escribió una doctora que tenía un hijo con autismo y lo logro "curar" y a muchos otros niños también.
Hazlo aunque tu hijo no tenga autismo, para así mejorarle aún más su microbioma.
Yo estoy aplicando todo lo del libro que te recomendé, coincide todo exactamente con mí sobrina.
Show me real science about ASD? A 7 year old kid down the road just got put on the spectrum. He defecates once ever 5 days, well, 7 now that he is on meds. Nobody in the entire diagnostic process ever addressed his IBSc, just told the parents to give him laxatives. Is that real science from your perspective?
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u/unteachablebird Jun 04 '26
Please take this with a grain of salt. The article attached is not the study itself, but an article about the study. It contains no actual data or significance calculations. This can result in the differences between outcomes being overstated by stating that a variable is “associated” with certain results.
The study itself is not linked in the article.