The Same Barrier Collapses Everywhere: Why Dysbiosis Causes ADHD, Brain Fog, Anxiety, Depression, and Chronic Fatigue Simultaneously—And Why You Can't Treat Them Separately The Discovery That Changes — Part 2: Short-Chain Fatty Acids—The Master Molecules Your Brain Depends On

What Dysbiosis Actually Steals From You When your microbiota is healthy, bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber produces three major short-chain fatty acids: acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These are not minor metabolites. They are architectural and epigenetic master regulators that control: Tight junction protein expression Microglial maturation and activation state Neurotransmitter synthesis Mitochondrial metabolism Histone acetylation patterns across the genome In dysbiosis, SCFA production doesn&#8217;t just decline&#8212;it collapses in specific, measurable patterns. The ADHD Connection: The First Clinical Proof Research published in 2024 comparing children with ADHD to healthy controls found: Fecal SCFA Deficits in ADHD Children: Acetate: 20-35% lower (P &lt; 0.01) Propionate: 30-45% lower (P &lt; 0.001) Isobutyrate: 25-40% lower (P &lt; 0.01) Isovaleric acid: 30-50% lower (P &lt; 0.001) Valeric acid: 15-30% lower (P &lt; 0.05) The critical finding: Even children with similar bacterial counts to controls showed SCFA deficits. The dysbiotic microbiota present was metabolically incompetent. They had bacteria but not function. This pattern is replicated across the neuropsychiatric spectrum: ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue all show dysbiosis-associated SCFA deficits. The SCFA Mechanism: How Three Molecules Control Your Brain Mechanism 1: HDAC Inhibi