When I founded So Nutrition over three years ago, my decision to focus on ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and autism was driven by my own family’s experience, following my husband’s diagnosis. Since then, So Nutrition has worked with hundreds of people with neurodivergent traits, providing services that range from coaching for emotional or binge eating, to food sensitivity testing and gut health support.

Greater understanding of neurodiversity in recent years has helped address previous misconceptions, with an accompanying increase in both adults and children being diagnosed. However, the connection between neurodivergent traits and eating behaviours.is only just beginning to get due attention.  

Food struggles for people with ADHD and autism are likely to be shaped by differences in sensory processing, emotional regulation and executive function. Understanding this and putting the right nutritional support in place can have a major impact on wellbeing, from improving gut health to regulating mood and boosting energy.

We carried out research with 500 adults with ADHD and found that missing meals is a weekly or even daily habit for more than six in 10 (63%) while nine in 10 admit to struggling with impulsive eating.

Skipping meals can be attributed to ADHD’s core symptoms of impulsivity, inattention and executive function differences, which all hinder self-regulation and awareness of internal hunger signals. Similarly, for neurodivergent individuals, impulsive or emotional eating often goes beyond food itself and can relate to brain chemistry and biochemical balance, as well as being a response to emotions such as stress, frustration and feeling overwhelmed.

The study also confirmed that food sensitivities are extremely common, with 78% highly sensitive to certain textures, tastes and smells. By helping people understand their own eating habits as well as their own biological and genetic makeup through our testing packages, we can provide individual nutrition plans that have been shown to have a huge impact on wellbeing. There are no gimmicks, no fad diets – it’s about science-backed, evidence-based nutrition, and a compassionate approach.

In the past 12 months we’ve seen an eighteen fold increase in interest and, as a result, we’ve expanded our team with four new practitioners to help meet rising demand from across the UK and beyond. The So Nutrition team includes:

• Natasha Rosenberg: a nutritional therapist specialising in family nutrition, with a focus on ADHD, autism and children’s eating behaviours
• Becca Tym: an ADHD nutrition coach specialising in the impact of ADHD on emotional eating behaviours and wellbeing
• Fatima Riaz: a nutritional therapist working with complex health issues, with specialisms including weight loss, genetics and cancer nutrition therapy
• Nicola Newton: a specialist in gut health, irritable bowel syndrome and food reactions, which are common in those with ADHD and autism 

We support people with a vast range of challenges, including those that are frustrated with the long waitlists for ADHD and autism assessments and seeking support in the interim.  Figures released in December 2025 pointed to 700,123 people in the UK awaiting referrals for an ADHD assessment.

In addition, So Nutrition supports healthcare professionals and GPs through our specialist academy and recently presented our research findings at the Royal Society of Medicine. In some cases, GPs refer patients to us and we see many people that are taking medication for ADHD but find the stimulant nature affects appetite, which can compound nutritional issues. Plus, medication can interact with certain supplements, so it’s important to get proper guidance.

For those who choose not to take medication or don’t have access to it, nutrition can play a key role in supporting regulation of the nervous system to improve balance and wellbeing.

About the author: So Nutrition founder Sarah Osborne, BA (Hons), is a BANT-registered nutritionist, advanced ADHD coach and emotional eating specialist. Combining neuroscience, nutrigenomics and clinical nutrition, Sarah’s work focuses on supporting neurodivergent adults and children through practical, evidence-based and neuroaffirmative approaches. Sarah has spoken at national events including TEDx, Seed Talks and The Royal Society of Medicine, and her research-based work on ADHD and nutrition has reached audiences across the UK and beyond.