Kylie Smart - ADHD & Women's Health Naturopath

Kylie Smart - ADHD & Women's Health Naturopath ♾️ AuDHD
✨Personalised Wellness Support for ADHD, Hormones and Anxiety
💌 DM “ADHD” for more info
💻Online 🏡In Clinic

11/05/2026

This new ADHD research honestly made me want to yell FINALLY.

A recent survey of 600 women with ADHD looked at how ADHD traits change across hormonal stages — and the numbers are huge.

Over 88% of women reported changes in ADHD severity across their menstrual cycle.

70.4% said their ADHD worsened after having a baby.
And a massive 97.5% said their ADHD traits worsened during the menopause transition.

And honestly, this makes so much sense.

I wasn’t diagnosed until my 40s, when perimenopause symptoms started becoming more obvious — and so many of my clients have a similar story.

They managed for years.

Then suddenly their cycle becomes more intense, their moods shift, their focus drops, their executive functioning disappears, or life starts to feel completely unmanageable after having a baby or during perimenopause.

This study is exciting because it confirms what so many ADHD women have been saying for years:
Hormones matter.
The menstrual cycle matters.
Postpartum matters.
Perimenopause and menopause matter.

And if we’re supporting women with ADHD, we need to stop pretending the brain is separate from the endocrine system.

This research won’t answer everything, but it opens the door for better understanding, better support and more research into how hormonal shifts influence ADHD across the lifespan.

And I am very here for it.

07/05/2026

Let’s look at one of my client’s DNA tests.

She has ADHD, mood swings, irritability, gets cranky and snappy, and is a really light sleeper.

And when we look at her genetics, there are a few patterns that may help explain why her nervous system feels so reactive.

The first thing we saw was compound heterozygous MTHFR.

That means she has one variation on each of the main MTHFR genes we look at. This may affect how well she converts folate into methylfolate, which is important for methylation, neurotransmitter production, detoxification, and nervous system support.

Then we saw a slow MAO-A pattern.

MAO-A helps break down neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. So when this pathway is slower, it may contribute to mood swings, irritability, sensitivity, feeling wired, or having trouble switching off.

And then we saw slow HNMT.

HNMT is one of the main enzymes involved in breaking down histamine inside cells, including in the brain and nervous system.

So if someone has ADHD, light sleep, mood swings, irritability, histamine-type symptoms, hormone sensitivity or feeling wired but exhausted, this is a gene I’m always interested in.

This does not mean your genes are your destiny.

But your genes can give us clues.

And when we combine those clues with symptoms, blood work, hormones, gut health and what’s actually happening in real life, we can make a much more personalised plan.

Comment GENETICS and I’ll send you my free download on the genes I look at for ADHD, mood and hormones.

05/05/2026

This reel has been going around with Gabor Maté saying ADHD isn’t genetic, and that the biggest factor is the emotional relationship between the child and parent.

And honestly? Speaking in absolutes like this is harmful.

Especially for families who have spent years advocating for their kids, supporting them, fighting for assessments, adjusting school environments, changing routines, trying therapies, learning everything they can…

Only for old Auntie June to see one Instagram reel and decide your child has ADHD because you were a bad parent.

Not real helpful.

The research is much more nuanced than that.

A 2025 review paper looked at the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and neurodevelopmental differences like ADHD and autism.

And what it found was not “trauma causes ADHD.”

It found a bidirectional relationship.

Meaning neurodivergent children may be more likely to experience adverse childhood events, often because of stigma, lack of support, misunderstanding, exclusion, or environments that aren’t designed for their neurotype.

And children who experience adverse childhood events may also be more likely to develop symptoms that meet criteria for neurodevelopmental diagnoses.

So the real question is not:
“Did bad parenting cause ADHD?”

The question is:
How do genetics, neurodevelopment, environment, stress, support, trauma, and epigenetics all interact?

That is a very different conversation.

ADHD is complex.

It is highly heritable.

It is influenced by many genes, not one single “ADHD gene.”

And yes, environment matters.

But blaming parents is not science.

It is shame dressed up as insight.

Bad parenting does not cause ADHD.

03/05/2026

I just found research from 2025 that confirms what I’ve been seeing in clinic for a long time.

ADHD women are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms younger than women without ADHD.

And not just a little bit younger.

The study found symptoms were showing up between 35–39 years old.

That’s a whole lot earlier than what many women are expecting.

And the symptoms weren’t just earlier — they were also more severe.

The research found:
🔥 54% of ADHD women reported severe perimenopausal symptoms�compared to�🔥 30.1% of women without ADHD

That’s a huge difference.

And when they looked at symptoms like:
🧠 anxiety�😤 irritability�🌧 low mood�🥱 fatigue

it was around 58% in the ADHD group compared to 36% in the non-ADHD group.

This is why I keep talking about ADHD and hormones.

Because so many women are told:
“It’s just stress.”�“You’re too young for perimenopause.”�“Your blood tests are normal.”�“Maybe you’re just overwhelmed.”

But what if your brain is actually more sensitive to hormonal changes?
What if your ADHD is being amplified by perimenopause?
And what if understanding that could change the way you support yourself?

This is also why diagnosis can matter. Not because you need another label, but because it can help explain why things have felt so hard — especially during hormonal transitions.

If you want to learn more about ADHD and perimenopause, comment PERI and I’ll send you our ebook.

30/04/2026

Looks like my ADHD clients have all been hearing the same unhelpful advice lately, so let’s do this:

5 things you should never say to an ADHDer — naturopath edition.

❌ 1. “Just try harder.”�We already tried that. Usually about 47 times before breakfast.

❌ 2. “Your blood tests are normal, so everything is fine.”�In range doesn’t always mean optimal — especially when we’re talking about mood, hormones, energy, focus and nutrient status.

❌ 3. “It’s probably just stress.”�Sure. Because being an overwhelmed, overstimulated, possibly perimenopausal ADHDer is famously relaxing.

❌ 4. “Just take magnesium/fish oil/the supplement TikTok told me about.”�Some supplements can be amazing. Some can do absolutely nothing. And some can make people feel worse — especially when genetics, hormones, gut health and neurotransmitters are involved.

❌ 5. “You just need a routine.”�Thank you. Revolutionary. No ADHDer has ever considered a routine before.

This is why we need realistic, individualised support for ADHD — not generic advice that makes people feel like they’re failing.

At Luna Wellness Collective, we support ADHDers with mental health, moods, hormones and natural medicine in a way that actually considers the whole person.

Follow for ADHD support that doesn’t start with “just buy a planner.”


29/04/2026

I love this diagram because it explains something I talk about all the time in clinic:

Your brain chemicals don’t just magically appear.

Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline are made from amino acids — the building blocks of protein.

But to turn those amino acids into neurotransmitters, the body needs key nutrients like:
🧲 magnesium�🦪 zinc�🥩 iron�💊 B vitamins�🍊 vitamin C�🌿 folate�⚡ B6

And this is where things can get tricky for ADHDers, especially neurodivergent kids.

Because when food is limited, safe foods are limited, appetite is all over the place, or sensory preferences are strong, it can be really hard to get a diverse nutrient intake.

Then we also need to think about other factors like gut health, inflammation, hormones and genetics, which can all influence how well those nutrients are absorbed and used.

So when we’re thinking about ADHD support, we’re not just randomly throwing supplements at symptoms.

We’re asking:
🥚 Are they getting enough protein?�🧪 Do they have the nutrients needed to make neurotransmitters?�🩸 Are there deficiencies getting in the way?�🧬 Is their body actually able to use what they’re eating?

This is why I’m always talking about food, blood tests and functional testing in ADHD care.

Because dopamine support starts way

26/04/2026

Saffron is one of our absolute favourite herbs in clinic.

If we could have it on tap… we probably would.

Research suggests saffron may support ADHD through a few different pathways, including:

inflammation
oxidative stress
dopamine
noradrenaline
serotonin

And one small but exciting study found saffron was comparable to methylphenidate/Ritalin for ADHD symptoms.

Interestingly, saffron appeared to be more helpful for hyperactivity, while methylphenidate was more helpful for inattention.

Now, this does not mean you should stop medication and swap to saffron.

But it does mean that for people who can’t tolerate medication, don’t want to use medication, or want additional support, saffron may be worth discussing with a qualified practitioner.

Because ADHD support does not have to be one-size-fits-all.

21/04/2026

If you have ADHD, have you ever considered using herbal medicine to help support your brain, mood, and nervous system?

I’m Kylie, an ADHD naturopath, and here at Luna Wellness Collective, along with my team, we help support ADHDers with their mental health, moods, and hormones using herbal medicine 🌿

These are 5 of my favourite herbs I use all the time in clinic for ADHD support:

1. Withania
One of my go-tos for nervous system support. I often use it when someone is feeling stressed, frazzled, burnt out, or like they care way too much about every little thing.

2. St John’s Wort
A herb I may use when low mood is part of the picture. It acts on serotonin pathways and can be really helpful in the right person.

3. Saffron
You knew this one was coming. One of my absolute favourites for ADHD. I love it for mood, emotional regulation, and dopamine support.

4. Passionflower
Such a great herb when someone is feeling wired, restless, or can’t switch off. I love that it works on GABA, which is often forgotten in ADHD.

5. Rhodiola
A really useful herb for the right person when energy, motivation, and resilience are low — but definitely one to use with care.

These are not herbs I’d recommend just grabbing randomly off the shelf. The best herb depends on your symptoms, your nervous system, your hormones, your meds, and your biochemistry.

Comment SUPPLEMENTS and I’ll send you my download with some of my favourite supplements I use for ADHD support.

19/04/2026

So many of the women I see are late-diagnosed ADHD women in their 40s who’ve started medication, noticed some benefit… but are still absolutely exhausted.

And that is where we need to zoom out.

Because sometimes it’s not that the meds “aren’t working” — it’s that there are other things impacting energy that have not been looked at properly yet.

Some of the common things I check in fatigued ADHDers include:

iron
B12
vitamin D
protein intake
overall calorie intake
and sometimes genetics, especially when nutrients look okay on paper but may not be being used well

This is why I’m always talking about the difference between normal and optimal.

You can have blood tests that are technically “fine” and still feel:

flat
foggy
drained
moody
like your brain and body are running on empty

There is often more to the picture than just stimulant medication.

If you’re feeling super fatigued, there may be more support available than you’ve been told.

Comment BLOOD TESTS and I’ll send you the download with the blood tests I commonly look at for ADHDers.

17/04/2026

We are finally seeing research catch up with what many of us have been noticing in clinic 👀

A brand new study is now talking about the link between the gut microbiota and ADHD traits.

That means the balance of bacteria in the gut may actually influence things like brain development, behaviour, and the overall ADHD picture.

And honestly? This is exciting.

Because when we run stool testing, we are often seeing patterns that help explain why someone’s brain and body may be struggling.

Things like:
✨ changes in short-chain fatty acid production�(the fuel source for the cells lining the gut)
✨ changes in immune and inflammatory signalling�(because a huge part of your immune system lives in your gut)
✨ changes in neurotransmitter synthesis and regulation
✨ and differences that may influence neurodevelopment

This does not mean the gut is the whole story with ADHD.

But it does mean the gut may be one important piece of the puzzle.

And the more research that comes out, the more we can stop pretending ADHD is just about willpower, motivation, or needing to “try harder”.

It is biology.�It is physiology.�And the gut may be part of that conversation.

14/04/2026

If you have ADHD and you’ve got a weird mix of hay fever, poor sleep, migraines, anxiety or mood changes… there may actually be a reason those symptoms keep showing up together 👀

Today I spoke to three different women who all had the same huge aha moment.

They’d never realised these symptoms could be connected.

For so many ADHD women, histamine can be part of the picture.

And histamine isn’t just about allergies.

It also acts as a neurotransmitter, which means it can affect:
* sleep
* anxiety
* mood
* migraines
* cycle-related symptoms

Especially when hormones and oestrogen are involved.

This is exactly why I’m always saying it’s not “just stress” and it’s not all in your head.

Sometimes there is a real biochemical reason things feel worse than they should.

If this sounds like you and you want to start piecing the puzzle together, comment CHECKLIST and I’ll send you my histamine download with a checklist of symptoms that are often more connected than you think.

Address

Yandina, QLD

Website

http://www.kyliesmart.com.au/

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