A summary of some alternatives - to aid in autism recovery.
GFCF diet: Gluten and Casein free products. There is much research available on the net , not least from case histories. To explain briefly...many Autistic children suffer from what is commonly referred to as a 'leaky gut'. When the food passes through the gut , partially digested proteins find their way into the blood stream before they have been fully broken down into amino acids. In the form they pass through as, they are peptides. The peptides once in the blood stream resemble very closely the structure of opiates. These opiate peptides effect the brain in ways similar to opium , and can cause very significant developmental delays.
Many parents report that removing casein and gluten from their child's diet increases eye contact, attention span, and general mood while decreasing problems like tantrums, self-stimulatory behavior (such as hand-flapping and rocking) and aggression. Many find that providing a diet free of casein and gluten aids children in successfully learning daily living skills like dressing, using the toilet as well as improving coordination and imaginative play activities. In a small number of cases, such dietary changes have resulted in dramatic improvements, enabling the child to attend mainstream educational programs in a matter of months.
Enzymes: An enzyme is a protein that catalyzes, or speeds up, a chemical reaction. Enzymes are essential to sustain life because most chemical reactions in biological cells would occur too slowly, or would lead to different products without enzymes.
Good nutrition and digestion is important for everyone. Someone, especially a young child or person with communication difficulties, may have a harder time relaying what they are feeling. So if something is upsetting them, you may not know exactly what the problem is. Children with neurological difficulties often have eating and digestive problems. This may be due to a real unidentified biological issue which is manifesting in problematic behavior. There is a nerve system that is tightly interconnected with the digestive tract. Things that affect digestion also affect the nervous system.
Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should.
Your body is a powerful thing, capable of doing all sorts of things by itself. However one thing it can't do is make vitamins. A normal body is able to get the vitamins it needs from the foods eaten because different foods contain different vitamins. The use of vitamin supplements alongside minerals is aimed at making the vital functions of the body work , such as growth , healing , red blood cell production. The list is endless.
This is one of the harder puzzles facing parents of autistic children. Some opt for multi vit/mineral packages (GFCF free of course!) that include all the most important ones. Others adopt a selective approach , supplementing with for example Zinc or Magnesium. This is where a good blood test analysis is necessary , and medical guidance.
Pro-biotics: Within the digestive system , there lie many different forms of bacteria. The purpose of a pro-biotic is to improve the so called presence of 'healthy' bacteria, which for a number of reasons are depleted.
Dysbiosis is a condition in which there are significant alterations in the normal bacterial, viral and yeast populations in the intestines. The nature of the dysbiosis and the degree of severity varies from one child to another; however in the context of Autistic Spectrum Disorder , the significant anaerobic bacteria are Bacteroides, Clostridium and yeasts such as Candida.
There are many factors which can alter the balance of power in the intestine - genetic factors, dietary factors, an individual's immune system and most commonly, antibiotics. Antibiotics are a double-edged sword - they help kill serious infection, but there is a price to pay - they also kill off 'good' bacteria which we rely on to provide us with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Anti-yeast treatment: Dr. Tettenborn (Consultant Paediatrician at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey) is one of the leading UK campaigners in treating autistic children with anti-fungal diet and treatment, ie. a low-sugar, low-yeast diet which most children can follow. The regime should be guided by a dietician and continued for a minimum of six weeks, and preferably six months, to assist the result. If it is effective the diet should be continued indefinitely.
Anti-fungal treatment consists of oral Nystatin, adjusted according to response, and, if effective, continued for at least four months. Sometimes Fluconazole (diflucan) can be given initially for three weeks before the Nystatin.
The alternative option of a gluten/casein free diet is more difficult to follow, but may be appropriate. When children have not responded to an anti-fungal diet, Dr. Tettenborn says that more than half the children managed in this way show definite improvement, and many return to main-stream schooling. Many other doctors in clinical practice support Dr. Tettenborn's anti- fungal regime, saying that they had similar success. However, the difficulty of setting up double blind control trials means that it would not be acceptable to most orthodox assessments. For this reason parents may meet reluctance from GPs and paediatricians to support this regime.
Essential Fatty Acids: There is considerable research on this subject to suggest that these can make a difference to healthy brain development. Scientific evidence suggests that imbalances or deficiencies of certain highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) may contribute to a range of behavioural and learning difficulties including ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autistic spectrum disorders.
These omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are found in fish and seafood, some nuts and seeds and green leafy vegetables. They are absolutely essential for normal brain development and function, but are often lacking from modern diets. Everyone needs adequate dietary supplies of these HUFA for mental and physical health, but research shows that some people may need higher levels in their diet than others.
DMG and TMG: DMG (Dimethylglycine) has been used in autism for many years and is recommended by Dr. Bernard Rimland (amongst others). It has produced dramatic speech and behavioural improvements in many children (as many as 80% in some studies). TMG (Trimethylglycine) is a new, only recently available compound, which has been giving extremely positive results. TMG has one more methyl group in its chemical structure than DMG. This extra methyl group breaks off to reduce harmful homocysteine levels and raise serotonin levels by producing a precurser called SAMe. The rest of the molecule becomes DMG. So, in essence, with TMG you get DMG plus the SAMe.
L-Glutathione: Glutathione is an antioxidant that is a blend of three amino acids - cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine. Glutathione plays an important part in the body's antioxidant defense system and is involved in a number of body functions, including protecting the body from the formation of free radicals. Austism patients have been shown to have higher levels of free oxygen radicals like Nitric Oxide (NO) than healthy individuals. Individuals with Autism have also been found to have lower blood levels of antioxidants like L-Carnitine, which can reduce the damaging effects of free radicals. As antioxidants help protect cells against damage from free radicals, supplementing with antioxidants like L-Glutathione may be sensible for Autism patients. Optimal amounts of Glutathione are necessary for supporting the immune system, and it is required for replication of lymphocyte immune cells. Glutathione also helps the body detoxify heavy metals, solvents and pesticides, and transforms them into a form that can be excreted in urine or bile. The liver, kidneys and lungs contain high levels of Glutathione as they have the greatest exposure to toxins.
Chelation: The chemical process that takes place in chelation is complicated, but put in simple terms, the heavy metals, such as mercury or lead, bind to the chelating agent and then are eliminated from the body. In theory, once they are removed, their toxic effects are eliminated and the individual begins to show improvement in the areas which were exposed to these metals. There are several products which are in use as chelators and are prescribed for use by some physicians.
One of the best and safest chelators is DMSA. While not approved by the FDA for use in Autism, it is approved for removal of lead from children who have been diagnosed with lead poisoning. Due to the nature of DMSA, however, it does not simply bind to lead, but to any heavy metal, and therefore will bind to mercury, such as has accumulated due to vaccinations containing thimerosal. It has been tested in children and found to be safe and effective when properly used.
TRUE comment: Of all the treatments available , this one has the potential to make a big difference , if your child has heavy metal poisoning. However , you MUST do it correctly , failure to do so could make your child worse! This is where you must seek out guidance from other parents and specialist doctors.