About autism

Autism is a complex biological disorder characterised by

difficulties with speech; abnormalities of posture or gesture;
problems with understanding the feelings of others; sensory
and visual misperceptions, fears and anxieties; and
behavioural abnormalities such as compulsive/obsessive
behaviour and ritualistic movements. The National Autistic
Society estimates that more than half a million people have
autism in the ! with four times more boys than girls affected.
No single cause has been established, although genetic and
environmental factors are implicated. There is growing
evidence that nutritional therapy can really ma"e a big
difference to children with autism. #any have severely
disrupted digestion, so restoring balance in the gut is a "ey
focus for nutritional therapy. Also important is balancing blood
sugar, chec"ing for brain$polluting heavy metals, excluding
food additives, identifying food allergies and possible nutrient
deficiencies, and ensuring an optimal inta"e of essential fats.
%ead on for more information on Autism and how it can be
influenced by nutrition. Also see our nutritional Action &lan. 'r
if you need further individualised help then contact our clinic.
%ead on for more information on how Autism can be
influenced by nutrition or read our.
DIET AND NUTRITION...WHAT WORKS?
Improve digestion
#any parents of autistic children report that their child
received repeated or prolonged courses of antibiotic drugs for
ear or other respiratory infections during their first year, before
the diagnosis of autism. (road$spectrum antibiotics "ill good
as well as bad bacteria in the gut, and this may be why autistic
children commonly have bowel irregularities.
a!an"e b!ood sugar
There is much overlap between A)*/hyperactivity and autism,
so for autistic children who show signs of hyperactivity,
improving blood sugar balance is a must.
)ietary studies consistently reveal that hyperactive children
eat more sugar than other children
+
. 'ther research has
confirmed that the problem is not sugar itself but the forms it
comes in, the absence of a well$balanced diet overall, and
abnormal glucose metabolism. A study of ,-. hyperactive
children found that more than three$/uarters of them displayed
abnormal glucose tolerance, 0 that is, their bodies were less
able to handle sugar inta"e and maintain balanced blood
sugar levels.
1n any case, when a child is regularly snac"ing on refined
carbohydrates, sweets, chocolate, fi22y drin"s, 3uices and little
or no fibre to slow the glucose absorption, the levels of
glucose in their blood will seesaw continually and trigger wild
fluctuations in their levels of activity, concentration, focus and
behaviour. These, of course, will not help any child4s brain
function.
W#ere$s t#e eviden"e? Search our evidence database and
enter 5sugar4 and 5autism4 into the search field for a summary
of studies that demonstrate the effect of blood sugar
imbalance on autism.
Side e%%e"ts? None reported
&ontraindi"ations 'it# medi"ation? )iabetes medication
should be closely monitored since dosages may need to be
lowered.
See action plan %or our re"ommendations.
In"rease omega ( %ats
)eficiencies in essential fats are common in people with
autism. %esearch by )r 6ordon (ell at Stirling niversity has
shown that some autistic children have an en2ymatic defect
that removes essential fats from brain cell membranes more
/uic"ly than it should. This means that an autistic child is li"ely
to need a higher inta"e of essential fats than the average. And
it has been found that supplementing 7&A, which can slow the
activity of the defective en2yme, has clinically improved
behaviour, mood, imagination, spontaneous speech, sleep
patterns and focus of autistic children.
W#ere$s t#e eviden"e? Search our evidence database and
enter 5omegas4 and 5autism4 into the search field for a
summary of studies that demonstrate the effect of essential
fats on autism.
Side e%%e"ts? %arely causes loose stools in sensitive
individuals if you start on too high a dose.
&ontraindi"ations 'it# medi"ation? 7ssential fats may
have a 5blood$thinning4 effect and should not be mixed with
5blood thinning4 medication.
See action plan %or our re"ommendations.
In"rease vitamins and minera!s
8e have "nown since the 9:;<s that a nutritional approach
can help autism, than"s to the pioneering research by )r
(ernard %imland of the 1nstitute for =hild (ehaviour %esearch
in San )iego, =alifornia. *e showed that vitamin (-, = and
magnesium supplements significantly improved symptoms in
autistic children. 1n one of his early studies bac" in 9:;>, 9,
out of 9- autistic children improved, then regressed when the
vitamins were swapped for placebos
:
. 1n the decades following
)r %imland4s study, many other researchers have also
reported positive results with this approach.
Avoid %ood a!!ergies
'ne of the most significant contributing factors in autism
appears to be undesirable foods and chemicals that often
reach the brain via the bloodstream because of faulty
digestion and absorption. #uch of the impetus for recognising
the importance of dietary intervention has come from parents
who4ve noticed vast improvements in their children after
changing their diets.
$ See more at? http?//www.foodforthebrain.org/nutrition$
solutions/autism/about$autism.aspx@sthash.!A6Bl.Cm.dpuf