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Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Help from an Unexpected Source

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natural cures for autism
Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/mindwhisperings/

There was a recent news story of a mother who threw her 6 year-old autistic son to his death off of a bridge.

While this heinous act was performed by a mentally disturbed woman, her reasoning was heartbreaking.  She couldn’t bear the idea of her child regressing back into himself as he had done so many times in the past.

As a father, even the thought of losing a child’s outward reaction to his or her environment and experiencing the joys and pains as they grow is hard to imagine.

For the parents who do have children that fall under the autistic spectrum disorders category, there are things that can be done.  There are many amazing behavioral programs that, if instituted early, can increase the likelihood of your child fully integrated into higher grade levels.

There are also a large number of approaches designed to improve the health of the brain, irregardless of any labels that may be attached to that brain.  Nutrition and supplementation plays a huge role here, as you can see from this particular study.

In it, researchers looked at the use of sulforaphane in autistic spectrum disorders.  Sulforaphane is one of the principal components found in broccoli.  And, as you know, broccoli is an interdimensional warp, containing several pounds of incredibly good-for-you natural chemicals in every tree-resembling ounce.

They took 44 young men (aged 13–27) with moderate to severe ASD and gave them either sulforaphane derived from broccoli sprout extracts or a placebo for 18 weeks.  Behavior was evaluated three behavioral measures completed by parents/caregivers and physicians: the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale (CGI-I).

Here’s what they found:

  • After 18 weeks, the placebo group had minimal change (<3.3%).
  • The sulforaphane group had substantial improvement of behavior: 34% for ABC and 17% for SRS scores.
  • On CGI-I, a greater number of the sulforaphane group had improvement in social interaction, abnormal behavior, and verbal communication.
  • Four weeks after discontinuation of sulforaphane, the scores slid back toward pretreatment levels.

Researchers noted that they picked sulforaphane “because of its well-known ability to reverse abnormalities that have been associated with ASD, including oxidative stress and lower antioxidant capacity, depressed glutathione synthesis, reduced mitochondrial function and oxidative phosphorylation, increased lipid peroxidation, and neuroinflammmation.”

That’s a pretty tall order for a natural compound that had no side effects.  We are talking about improving the health of the brains of our children and protecting them against further damage.

Being a “lifestyle” person, I would prefer to load our kids up with broccoli and cauliflower, but the amount of sulforaphane given in this study would equate to a relatively large dose of broccoli sprouts (which have a higher content of sulforaphane) and even this would depend largely on storage and cooking method.  Sometimes, we just have to accept that the pharmaceutical model of taking a bioactive compound, concentrating it and using it to treat something may be the best bet.

The big difference is that the drug companies take that natural compound and try to figure out some way to change it slightly so it can be patented.  This opens up the door to side effects that just aren’t seen in the original natural compound.

 

New Variant of IBD Observed in Children With Developmental Disorders – (10-30-00)

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New Variant of IBD Observed in Children With Developmental Disorders

Dr. Andrew Wakefield is truly a pioneer, and yet he has received an indescribable amount of criticism for his studies suggesting a possible link between the mumps vaccine and autism. And yet, like many old pioneers ridiculed by their colleagues, further research is confirming his findings. There appears to be a link between the health of the GI tract and autistic patients. While some may consider this ludicrous, to those of use familiar with functional medicine, it is very plausible.

Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95:2154-2156,2285-2295 Children with developmental disorders seem to be at risk of developing a distinct variant of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that lacks the typical features of either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. “The combination of ileocolonic lymphoid nodular hyperplasia and colitis in children with developmental disorders distinguished them from developmentally normal children with similar symptoms (including abdominal pain and constipation) in whom lymphoid nodular hyperplasia and histopathological change were uncommon,” Dr. Wakefield and colleagues say. The accumulating evidence of a specific variant of enterocolitis in autism makes it “tempting to suggest that a gut-brain interaction” may be involved in the pathogenesis of what researchers are beginning to call “autistic enterocolitis,” the authors note. They explain that recent detection of opioid peptides of dietary origin in urine from some affected children is further evidence of this possibility. But in a related editorial, Drs. Eamonn M. M. Quigley and David Hurley, of the National University of Ireland in Cork, say that “there is, at present, insufficient evidence to establish either a direct or indirect link…between an inflamed gut and the brain, in autism.”

Aberrant Immune Response Seen in Autism – (05-07-01)

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Aberrant Immune Response Seen in Autism

I have seen many children diagnosed with conditions like autism, ADD and ADHD that begin the morning with enough sugar to stagger the mind. Many of these patients do not think for one instant that what a child eats can have an effect on the mental performance. I think this article illustrates nicely that there are alterations in some autistic children that can be either addressed or made worse by lifestyle choices.

Experimental Biology 2001 Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) produce higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines than children without autism, researchers announced Monday at the Experimental Biology 2001 meeting in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Harumi Jyonouchi of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and colleagues analyzed the immune responses of 83 children with ASD, between 2 and 17 years old, compared with a group of healthy matched controls. The researchers measured the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 in the subjects before and after exposure to low doses of endotoxin. “More than three-quarters of the ASD children produced higher levels of at least one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with controls,” Dr. Jyonouchi told Reuters Health. These differences were evident both with and without endotoxin exposure, she added. The researchers also found that “75% to 80% of these children have T-cell reactivity to dietary proteins including soy, milk, and wheat,” Dr. Jyonouchi said. “If their response to endotoxins is dysregulated, children with ASD may be predisposed to other adverse reactions to foods, bacteria, and vaccines, and may have an increased risk for autoimmune reactions,” Dr. Jyonouchi explained. She noted that these children may also require a longer time to recover from such exposures. “This is scientific data supporting parents’ claims that autistic children may get sicker from colds and flu and are more sensitive to dietary proteins,” Dr. Jyonouchi said.

 

Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in CA – (03-22-01)

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Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in CA

This suspected link has become quite the hot topic lately; with many researchers rapidly producing reviews suggesting no link between autism and MMR vaccination. This study summarizes the results by comparing the increase in autism rates (up 373%) to increase in immunization rates (up 14%). Since autism rates went up much higher than immunizations, then the immunizations could not be to blame. Could it be that all these researchers are viewing the data with the same blinders that we view chronic diseases today? The one cause, one cure syndrome again. It could very well be possible that the development of autism is a multifactorial event, and the administration of the MMR vaccine is merely the final straw on the proverbial camel’s back. For those of you that may think I’m reaching, please look back in the updates and review Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s research into ileonodular hyperplasia. Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in California

Read entire article here

Repeated Doses of Porcine Secretin in the Treatment of Autism – (05-21-01)

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Repeated Doses of Porcine Secretin in the Treatment of Autism

This study found no benefit to the use of secretin for autism. Hopefully one day soon medicine will begin to address the biological individuality of its patients. Secretin is a hormone that stimulates the production of pancreatic enzymes for digestion. We have previously discussed the phenomena of certain milk proteins making it to the brain IN SUSEPTABLE INDIVIDUALS and causing morphine-like effects. Pull these kids off of milk and it’s like a miracle how they recover. But it may only be a select few that response to this. I feel that secretin is no different. This study included 64 children and found no benefit. What if only 1 in 100 autistics would benefit from secretin use? It would not show up in any study because the incidence is too low. There’s a reason why some parents claim that it works–probably because it has!

Pediatrics — Abstracts: Roberts et al. 107 (5): e71

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Dietary Changes Improve Autistic Symptoms in Some Patients – (05-14-01)

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Dietary Changes Improve Autistic Symptoms in Some Patients

I firmly believe that there is a large percentage of autistic patients that can be cured or at least reduced in severity of the condition. These patients are the ones that have had their mental condition affected by dairy, food allergies, refined carbs, food preservatives or even food coloring’s. It may turn out to be only a small percentage of the autistic population (which I do not believe) but what harm would a trial of dietary changes cause? None. The parents of autistic patients have nothing to lose by trying some of these methods.

12th International Conference on Autism Elimination of dairy, gluten and other food components dramatically improves the symptoms of children and adults with autism, according to preliminary results presented Thursday at the 12th International Conference on Autism, held at Durham University in the UK. Previous studies suggest that more than 50% of autistic children show significant improvements when dairy products and gluten are eliminated from their diet, explained Dr. Ted Kniker from the San Antonio Autistic Treatment Center in Texas. “The theory is that poorly-degraded food proteins leak from the gut into the blood, and peptides with opioid activity adversely affect brain function,” he said. At the Durham meeting, Dr. Kniker reported findings from the first phase of a two-part case-control study of 28 individuals with autism, living in full-time residential homes. The study team collected baseline data in January this year, and assessed dietary and medical histories, urine peptide profiles, Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist, and behavioral information. During the first phase of the 3-month intervention, milk and dairy products, food colorings, grains, caffeine, and other food components were eliminated from the diet, and the same data were collected again. Dr. Kniker explained that 10 of 28 participants changed dramatically. “Five of these ten improved in many of the parameters examined, but to our surprise, the other five deteriorated.” He added that “the deterioration experienced by the five individuals may be explained if the removal of these foods unmasked negative effects of other foods that they may not ordinarily consume.”

California Confirms Rise in Autism Cases – (11-07-02)

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California Confirms Rise in Autism Cases

I know the rising rates of autism has been denied by many in the medical profession, explaining that increased diagnosis is what has accounted for the rise. A 273% increase. Want my opinion? We’re doing something to our kids that are predisposing them to this condition. Multiple vaccinations, food allergies, poor prenatal/pregnancy care? I personally believe that not every child will get autism from the MMR vaccine (which is the vaccine most blamed for the onset), but that a certain percentage of children have the genes that make them susceptible  probably when combined with other factors such as a poor diet. This is NOT from the genes…it is from the way we are treating the genes. It takes hundreds of thousands of years for true genetic variation to occur, and this is occurring in decades.

Read entire article here

California researchers say that the state is seeing a sharp rise in the number of autistic children–but said they were mystified about what caused the unprecedented spread of the developmental disorder.The report by researchers at the University of California-Davis’ M.I.N.D. Institute released on Thursday showed a 273% increase in the number of autistic children entering various state treatment centers between 1987 and 1998.The findings also indicate that the increase could not be accounted for by other factors such as the misclassification of cases or changing diagnostic criteria.”Speculation about the increase in autism in California has led some to try to explain it away as a statistical issue or with other factors that artificially inflated the numbers,” lead investigator Dr. Robert Byrd said.”Instead, we found that autism is on the rise in the state and we still do not know why. The results of this study are, without a doubt, sobering,” he added.Medical experts say it is difficult to compare California’s autism numbers with other states’ because tracking systems are different. But they say anecdotal evidence indicates rates may also be rising elsewhere in the country.The California study, which was launched this year in an effort to determine why observed cases were increasing, looked at a statewide sample of 684 children from both English- and Spanish-speaking families.But the research did little to solve the mystery.Dr. Byrd’s team found that the rising number of autism cases could not be attributed to a loosening of the criteria for diagnosis, or an appreciable rise in the number of mentally retarded children misdiagnosed as autistic.They also found more than 90% of children in the survey were native born–blowing a hole in theories that the migration of children with the condition to California might be behind the higher numbers.”While this study does not identify the cause of autism, it does verify that autism has not been over-reported” in California, Dr. Byrd said.

 

INCREASED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM – (12-15-04)

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METABOLIC BIOMARKERS OF INCREASED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND IMPAIRED METHYLATION CAPACITY IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Ditto to above, with the addition that increased antibiotic use will destroy normal bacterial flora in the gut, and this bacteria can be a strong source of Vit B12. So, could destruction of normal flora with antibiotics be a contributing factor to the increase in autism? Overall, the sad thing is that many of these kids have horrendous diets. My wife had done in-home daycare for awhile. One of the kids she used to watch had a long list of psychological diagnosis, of which ADD was on the list. This same child used to come to the house in the morning eating candy bars for breakfast…

Read entire article here