Autism – The Biomedical Basics

By Polly Hattemer, editor of the Health Forum Books, www.healthyawareness.com

The parents are the primary healers for the child with autism. Of course, doctors are needed. However, without the parents, there are not enough doctors in the world to make all the observations and implement all the changes that are needed. Parents need to learn a lot, and they need to learn it as fast as possible.

Here is a compilation of some basic biomedical knowledge that may help parents. If you are new to this, then this list will seem overwhelming. Don’t worry. Sometimes it takes hearing things quite a few times before the implications become clear.

Tolerance. A little irritation for a couple of weeks is normal upon starting something new. You might start with less if irritation is present. If a supplement or treatment isn’t tolerated, try not to get frustrated. It may be tolerated later. Look at what is needed to balance that supplement and start there. Every supplement requires balance with several other supplements. Eg. Calcium and magnesium need to be balanced. If one isn’t tolerated, try the other.

Monitoring Reactions. Testing is very important, especially when doing chelation or amino acid supplementation. However, perhaps even more important are the parent’s careful observations of the child’s emotions, learning ability, and physical characteristics. Keep a diary or notes. Some of the interventions can be started by yourself. However, before you attempt chelation, you definitely need to have a personal doctor for your child. You need the doctor to test and monitor your child before and during the chelation. Also, doctors are not infallible. Just because a doctor suggests that you try something doesn’t mean that it will be correct for your child. Every child is different. Be vigilant.

Testing. If you don’t have a doctor familiar with the tests you need, call up the labs like the Great Plains Laboratories and the Great Smokies Laboratories and ask for a referral. The Great Plains Laboratories even offers outreach programs where they come to your city with some autism doctors. This is a great way to get many tests done at once. There are also services on the Internet where doctors are available for the purpose of ordering a few tests. These services are excellent for doing some preliminary work, especially since some of the autism doctors are booked up six months in advance.

Before Chelation. As much as possible, the gut should be healed and the dysbiosis should be under control before starting chelation. (Dysbiosis means parasites, yeast, viruses and the wrong bacteria have over-whelmed the intestinal environment. Chelation means taking something to remove harmful metals like lead, tin, cadmium, and mercury.) Also, the liver and kidney function should be tested before starting chelation. Minerals and amino acids should be replenished and in balance. Glutathione and other anti-oxidants should be up. This takes a lot of work and a lot of patience. The good news is that sometimes just correcting the body chemistry will allow the heavy metals to leave on their own, without chelation.

Vaccinations. Vaccinations are suspected of triggering many cases of autism. Yet, I’ve heard parents say that they are considering giving more vaccinations to their children with autism. If you child has autism, their immune system is already in disarray. Continuing with more vaccinations could push their immune system further over the edge. Also, be careful with your other children. If one of your children has autism, there is a greater than average chance that your other children are genetically or physically more susceptible to damage from vaccines.

Rotation and Variety in Supplements. You may want to gain variety in the way you give supplements. Eg, give beef pancreatic enzymes one day, and lamb pancreatic enzymes another day. If you have lots of supplements to give, ask your doctor if there are any that can be given less often. Eg, a good dose of pregnenolone will last a week, whereas a dose of folic acid will last 8 hours or less. Get a chart with all the supplements and check off which ones have been given recently. Give the child a holiday for a few days from some of the supplements. Notice if he gets better or worse.

The Craniosacral System

Decreased flexibility of the membrane that covers the brain can interfere with the proper flow and pumping of the fluid that baths the brain. This fluid carries nutrients to the brain and removes metabolic byproducts. The membrane also contains chelating agents that help remove heavy metals from the brain. The membrane might be damaged by fevers (eg induced by a vaccine reaction), or by a mechanical injury such as a birth delivery using suction, or bending the head/neck at birth. The damage often manifests as compression at the base of the skull. Many parents have found that cranial manipulation has helped their children overcome this problem. The treatment procedure is not frightening. The practitioner places his hands on the head and gently stretches the membrane that covers the brain. This treatment decreases the head-banging, thumb-sucking, and wrist-biting behaviors often found in autism. Once this mechanical stretching of the membrane has been accomplished, the parents, with proper instruction, can help with the maintenance. For further information, contact the Upledger Institute, Inc. Phone 1-800-233-5880, website www.upledger.com

General Diet Considerations

Rotation and Variety in Diet.  The rotation diet helps reduce allergy reactions. However, this makes fewer foods available for use each day. Thus you may tend to serve only one or two foods at each meal. This is not good. If at all possible, it is best to employ a wide variety of foods at each meal. This will help cut down on food allergy reactions. Use different combinations of foods. The body can become sensitive / allergic to specific combinations of foods. By changing the combinations served at each meal, you are adding in more variety.

Mold in Food. Many times it isn’t the food that is causing a reaction, but it is the mold in it. Usually, canned vegetables and fruit have more mold in them than frozen. Frozen food usually has more mold than fresh. So use fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. Even condiments like catsup and mustard may have mold. Spices often contain mold.

GF/CF Diet. A gluten-free and casein-free diet has helped many of the autistic. (Gluten is a protein found in grains. Casein is a protein found in milk.) However, the diet needs to be started gradually. Otherwise, the withdrawal symptoms can be too severe. After being on the diet for a while, you can consider adding in DPP IV enzymes. These enzymes have helped many children. Don’t try DPP IV before starting the GF/CF diet. There could be a strong reaction. Even those who have been on the GF/CF diet for months will sometimes experience an initial poor reaction to the DPP IV enzymes. If this poor reaction is too harsh or continues for any length of time, then the use of DPP IV needs to be reevaluated for your child. The DPP IV enzymes can be purchased from Kirkman labs (www.kirkmanlabs.com phone (800) 245-8282) or Houston Nutraceuticals (www.houstonni.com phone (866) 757-8627). After being on these enzymes for a while, some of the children have been able to tolerate casein and gluten again.

SCD diet. The Specific Carbohydrate diet allows the intestines to heal. Only carbohydrates that are easily digested are allowed. No grains or potatoes. Fruits and vegetables are to be peeled. In the beginning, the fruit and vegetables are also to be cooked. Nuts are allowed. However, be careful with the amount and quality of nuts in this diet. Nuts, especially peanuts, can be moldy. A child might also have an allergy to a particular nut. Additionally, most nuts are too high in linoleic fatty acids to be healthy in large quantities. To implement this diet, get the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall, BA, MSc. Then join one of the Internet discussion groups that will help you implement the diet. www.scdiet.org

Feingold Diet This diet supports the function of the PST enzyme, which is usually weak in those with autism. Foods high in phenolics and salicyaltes are excluded. Phenols are present in food dyes, in highly colored fruits and vegetables, in bioflavonoids, phytoestrogens and in cartenoids (carotene, lutein, lycopene, xanthophylls, and zeaxanthin).

Sarah’s Diet. Max and Sandra Desorgher have found that avoiding plant colors of carotene, lutein and lycopene is sometimes very helpful for the autistic. They have a lot to say about this at their website. www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com At the very least, it may be prudent not to use supplements of these colors.

Soy. This should not be part of the diet. It is too closely related to casein and gluten. Also, the phytoestrogens in soy will put an additional load on the PST enzyme.

MSG (monosodium glutamate), Modified Food Starch and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. These are very hard on a person who has been subjected to yeast overgrowth. Don’t feed them to your child. Coenzyme B6 may help reduce the reaction to these substances.

Protein

If the child avoids protein, then you need to be wary of a possible problem with ammonia. Get some lab tests. There might be a blockage in the removal of ammonia. Or it could be that there is an overgrowth of certain gut bacteria that produce a lot of ammonia from the protein in a meal. In this situation, forcing more protein or the wrong amino acids on a child may be quite harmful.

Chicken. If at all feasible, use organic chicken. Arsenic is legally fed to chickens to get rid of parasites. Some of the arsenic ends up in the meat.

Pork. This may be necessary to add variety to the meals. However, the fat from pork should be avoided. The fat from corn or grass-fed pigs is too high in polyunsaturated oils from the corn and grass that they have been fed. (Pigs are not designed to eat grass like sheep and cattle. Sheep and cattle have bacteria in their stomachs that converts unsaturated fats into saturated fats. Pigs do not. Therefore, the fat profile of pigs resembles that which they have been fed. )

Beef. If possible, use grass-fed beef instead of the normal supermarket beef. There should be less estrogen and pesticides in the fat. If seizures are present, organic chicken may be safer than beef (assuming there isn’t an allergy or sensitivity to chicken).

Emu. Emu meat is very lean and tastes somewhere between beef and chicken. There are now many farms that sell emu meat. Check for a farm near where you live. Have it shipped overnight with dry ice.

Fats and Oils

Coconut oil. The lauric acid found in coconut oil will convert into monolaurin in the intestines. The lauric acid and monolaurin together will kill off some parasites, yeast and viruses (including measles). Give the body a chance to get used to this change. Start with no more than a teaspoon of coconut oil per day for an adult. (Less for a child.) Mix the oil with some fiber (eg a grated carrot) so that some of the oil will make it to the last part of the intestines. When using coconut oil, it can increase metabolic rate. This increases the need for B6 and other B vitamins. More zinc and other minerals may also be needed. Therapeutic doses for an adult are three tablespoons of coconut oil per day. If there is an allergy to coconut, try palm oil instead. This is also high in lauric acid.

Linoleic fatty acids. These are elevated in many of the fatty acid profiles of the autistic. Too much linoleic fatty acid in the diet will decrease IgA, which is needed to protect the intestines. The linoleic fatty acid will also increase free-radicals and will increase yeast growth in the intestines. Oils that contain a high proportion of linoleic fatty acids are safflower, corn, soy, avocado and many of the nut oils. Avoid these. Common sources of excessive dietary linoleic fatty acids are restaurant French fries, oily pizza crusts, and commercial salad dressings. If you are looking for a safe substitute, olive oil has a low percentage of linoleic fatty acids. Don’t be taken in by the advertisements that compare Canola to olive oil. Canola oil is not a good substitute for olive oil. Canola is much higher in oxidized omega-3 oils.

Flax oil. Flax oil has some benefit. It helps to balance out the excessive linoleic fatty acids found in the typical American diet. Perhaps this is why some people feel better with a little flax oil in the diet. However, if we were eating a more natural diet, without all the linoleic fatty acids in it, then there wouldn’t be such a need for the flax oil. Many of the autistic are getting too much flax oil. They test high in linolenic fatty acids, which are the predominate fatty acids found in flax oil. The best strategy is to limit the intake of both linoleic fatty acids (corn oil, safflower oil, soy oil, etc) and limit the intake of linolenic fatty acids (flax oil). Be especially vigilant with kids that have migraines or seizures. They may not tolerate flax oil.

Flax seeds. The mucilage in these helps with bowel regulation. However, there is also a downside to flaxseeds. Flaxseeds contain a chemical that interferes with iodine entering the thyroid gland. Without iodine, the gland cannot produce thyroid hormone. Three tablespoons per day of flaxseeds has been known to cause thyroid goiter. Instead of flaxseeds, consider trying a small amount of prickly pear cactus leaves for their mucilage content. They will help sooth the intestine. However, they also can interfere with the absorption of fats and carbohydrates. So only a small amount is appropriate. You will find prickly pear cactus leaves in many Mexican markets and some ordinary grocery stores. Scrape off the thorns with a knife. You don’t have to remove the green covering. Then chop the leaves and include a little bit when you cook your eggs or other dishes. The leaves have anti-viral properties.  Mucilage is not recommended on the SCD diet. So a judgement call will have to be made here. Observations are your best friend.

Primrose oil. The autistic person is often low in the type of fatty acids found in primrose oil. Sometimes a small supplement of primrose oil is very helpful. At other times it is not tolerated. Be observant when you try this. The average person doesn’t need a supplement of primrose oil. That is because their desaturase enzymes are working and their anti-oxidants are high. The goal should be to change the body chemistry enough that supplements like primrose oil are not needed.

Desaturase enzymes. Often the delta-6 desaturase enzyme is not working properly in the autistic. Inadequate thyroid interferes with the delta-6 desaturase enzyme. So do viruses. There are many nutrients that support the desaturase enzymes and the proper use of oils. In particular, a person needs enough vitamin A, E, B6, niacin, B12, and biotin to use the oils properly. Also needed are the minerals of selenium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, and zinc. Protein is important here too. Excessive polyunsaturated oils (eg, soy, cottonseed, safflower, flax, fish and corn oil) will interfere with the desaturase enzymes. Olive oil does not seem to interfere with these enzymes.

Fish Liver Oil. Keep cod liver oil or other fish liver oils refrigerated or in the freezer. If it develops a strong fish smell, it has gone bad. The brand Nordic Naturals has a good reputation for freshness and purity. They add in some vitamin E to help keep the oil fresh. (website www.nordicnaturals.com and phone 800-662-2544,)

Fish liver oil is very important for its fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins reduce inflammation. In particular, enough vitamin A is critical to the health of the intestines. Yet vitamin A may be low due to diarrhea or a measles infection. These deplete the body of vitamin A. Unfortunately, fish liver oils are not always tolerated. If fish liver oil is not tolerated, try separate supplements of these vitamins. You can also get some of these vitamins in a water-soluble form, which may be better tolerated. Like everything else, be prudent in the amount used. Too much or too little of these vitamins is not good. If you are going to use high doses of these vitamins, make sure your doctor monitors this with blood tests, and make sure you are very observant of the changes in your child.

Fish Oil. Keep refrigerated. This isn’t as high in the important fat-soluble vitamins as fish liver oil. However, like fish liver oil, it does help keep platelets from clumping together. Although some fish oil in the diet may be helpful, too much of it can increase free-radical activity and contribute to seizures. It can also increase the permeability of the capillaries and contribute to “leaky gut.” A small amount of fish liver oil may be a better choice than plain fish oil for this reason.

Emu oil. If processed at low temperatures, emu oil has better anti-inflammatory properties than fish oil. Emu oil also works better on scaring when combined with vitamin E. Unfortunately, most companies heat the oil too much. To obtain emu oil that has been treated properly, see websites www.australis.com.au/hazelwood and www.crohns-colitis.com/pages/p-aust-nat-health-prod.html

Butter. This has very little casein in it. Ghee, which is clarified butter, would have even less casein. Raw butter, or at least butter from pasture-fed animals is considered the best quality. Butter and ghee are soothing to the intestines.

Cleaning up the Environment

Mold in the Environment. Clean mold off of walls with soap and water. Fix any water leaks. Consider using a surface stabilizer in showers and areas that tend to gather mold. Safe 2 Use carries a surface stabilizer. (phone 760-240-5881 and website www.safetouse.com ) Unfortunately, even if you can’t see the mold, it may be under the floor, and you are being exposed to its toxins. You can reduce the moisture in a damp area with portable dehumidifier machines (both small and large models are available). You can also purchase jars of calcium chloride crystals that remove moisture from the air.

Ozone. Some people employ this to sanitize a room. It kills bacteria, fungus and viruses. It can also oxidize some chemicals, including carbon monoxide and pesticides. (It breaks down the chemicals to a form that may be more tolerable. It doesn’t trap them like some charcoal filters will.) However, it is not healthy to breathe ozone. It can cause inflammation and constriction of the airways. If you sanitize a room with ozone, make sure the room is thoroughly aired out before using it. Some machines (like the high end Ecoquest) have more than one level of ozone that they produce. One mode of operation puts out a little ozone all the time. This method of operation is meant to be used while you are in the room. This may or may not be tolerated. The other mode of operation puts out a large amount of ozone for a couple of hours. This last feature is meant to clean the room while you aren’t present. Afterwards the room has to be aired out for a day or two. Even though you have to be careful about how you use these ozone generators, some people find them very effective. There are also water ozonating units that help you clean your fruits and vegetables. The ozone is bubbled through water. Soaking your fruits and vegetables in this water will break down the pesticides.

HEPA Filters. These mechanically remove small particles from the air. They don’t destroy chemicals. If possible, test how noisy a model is before purchasing it.

Carpet. This is a reservoir for dirt, mold and toxins. Vacuum often with a HEPA vacuum. If you replace the carpet with wood or laminated flooring, get the kind that doesn’t need glue.

Paint. When you paint, use low VOC paint. Be careful. Some companies say there paint is low VOC, but it really isn’t. They are using a loophole in the way the law defines low VOC. Some colors have more VOC than others. Safecoat carries low VOC paint, phone 619-239-0321 website www.afmsafecoat.com

Bedding. Wash bedding in hot water to kill dust mites. Sunlight also kills dust mites. Keep the dust off of the bedding by keeping a bedspread or sheet over it during the day. Just before bedtime, remove the bedspread or sheet and place a fresh sheet over the bedding. This will keep dust from accumulating in your blankets, and it will reduce the amount of dust the child breathes. Change pillow cases often and consider getting an allergy pillow cover encasing.

Household Chemicals. Perfumes, cleaning products and paints contain many irritating chemicals. Baking soda and vinegar are good substitutes for many cleaning products.

Minerals

Minerals. One of the first things that should be addressed is increasing the minerals in the body and balancing the mineral profile. Individual minerals need to be not too high and not too low. Be aware that if you give a lot of just one mineral, several other minerals tend to go down. Here is a book that will tell you which minerals deplete each other: Mineral and Trace Element Analysis by Eleonore Blaurock-Busch, PhD. The book is quite informative, and available through a company that does mineral testing. (Trace Minerals International. www.tracemin.com (800) 437-1404.) Also, there are some good articles on mineral balancing at www.acu-cell.com

Some companies that do hair mineral analysis wash the hair first and others don’t. Those that wash the hair say that this removes contaminants from the environment. Those that don’t wash the hair say that the washing chemicals are too harsh. The chemicals remove too much of the minerals and produce a very inconsistent result. I don’t know who is right. There are three other ways to determine mineral balance. These are blood, urine and buccal cell (tissue) testing. Of these, the buccal cell is considered the best.

Zinc. 90% of the autistic are low on this mineral. Many parents use a skin cream of zinc sulfate to bypass the poor absorption problem of the gut. However, too much zinc will cause yeast overgrowth and suppress the immune system. This is one reason why your doctor may keep testing mineral levels every few months. You don’t want to get too much zinc.

Copper.  Too much or too little copper is not good. Very low copper levels can lead to anemia and other problems. However, copper is usually high in the autistic. Supplements of molybdenum, manganese, zinc and vitamin C will lower copper levels.

High copper increases the excitotoxicity of the amino acid cysteine. If you know the child is high in copper, then avoid food high in cysteine. This means no whey, no onions and no garlic. Also, most muscle meat is high in cysteine. The heart muscle would be a better choice, because it is low in cysteine. Since glutathione contains cysteine, don’t use oral supplements of glutathione when there is copper poisoning. The glutathione breaks down into cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine when in contact with stomach acid. A nasal spray of glutathione would be safer.

Selenium. There is likely a need for more selenium. (Mercury binds to selenium and wastes it.) However, it is not advisable to give selenium while copper levels are high. Selenium from biological sources is usually tolerated better. Solaray and Jarrow make these products. Solaray’s Bio-Active selenium is made by growing mustard in selenium-rich water. (The selenium in this product is mainly in the selenocysteine form.)  Jarrow sells Activated Selenium, which is made with broccoli.

Calcium. Without enough calcium, the autistic can suffer eye pain and may do physical harm to their own eyes. Make sure they get enough high quality calcium. Some calcium products, especially those made from bone meal, are contaminated with lead. Get a calcium supplement that is tested for purity. More supplemental calcium must be given when growing children are put on milk-free diets. Also, be particularly careful if the children are given the oral chelation agent called EDTA. Plain EDTA is not absorbed well from the intestines. Since most of it remains in the intestines, it will interfere with the absorption of calcium and other minerals. In general, watch out for all chelators. Almost all chelators are going to deplete the body of minerals. Even if you are using a chelator like Metal Flush that is relatively gentle on mineral stores, you will still have to make sure there is plenty of minerals getting into the body. As the heavy metals are removed from biologically active sites, good minerals will be needed to take their place. If there are abnormally high levels of calcium in the hair samples, sometimes this is an indication of mercury poisoning, not an indication of excess calcium. Use the buccal cell test for calcium. It is the most accurate. (See comments about buccal cell testing under the magnesium section.)

Salt. Dr. Mary Megson suggests letting autistics have salt. If there is a G protein defect, three of the channels that remove calcium from the cells are blocked. The only other major means of removing calcium is with salt.

Manganese. Elevated manganese is associated with learning disabilities. If manganese measures high in the body, check your water supply. If manganese measures low, you need a supplement. Low levels of manganese contribute to hypoglycemia. Even if manganese levels are normal, a supplement of it should be included when taking large amounts of zinc, calcium, magnesium and vitamin B6.

MSM.  Often you find adult dose recommendations of several grams per day. However, many adults and children with intestinal difficulties have found that this is way too much MSM to start. The body needs a chance to get used to having sulfur again. Consistent doses of merely 250 mg of MSM per day for adults have shown benefits. Although MSM clears from the blood stream fairly rapidly, its effects are longer. Do not consider increasing the dose until after being on the present dose for at least three days. If you do work up to the higher doses, be aware that increased sulfur intake can lower zinc, copper, selenium, calcium and molybdenum. When mercury poisoning is present, Andy Cutler (author of Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment) suggests that MSM may do more harm than good. It will move too much mercury around without escorting it out of the body. Instead of using MSM, he suggests that sulfates are a more appropriate source of sulfur when mercury poisoning is present.

Sulfates. Sources of sulfates are chondroitan sulfate, Epsom Salt baths, zinc sulfate and other minerals in the sulfate form. Sulfates are cleared from the blood fairly rapidly. People have noticed that giving sulfates at least twice per day helps to sustain the benefits. You can dab on a mixture of Epsom Salts and water onto the skin, or you can make a skin cream. Dissolve about a teaspoon of Epsom Salts in a teaspoon of warm water. Then add three or four teaspoons of coconut oil to create a skin cream. (If the coconut oil is hard, sit the bottle in a bowel of warm water for a little while.)

Magnesium. Many children have improved when given this mineral supplement. It is one of the first things that doctors suggest replenishing. A good way to get more magnesium is with Epsom Salts baths. Use an oral supplement of magnesium if there is constipation. This will help relieve this situation. Although it is unusual to hear of an overdose of this mineral, it does happen. Don’t use unusually large doses for the child’s body weight without careful testing/monitoring. The most accurate way of monitoring this mineral is with a buccal cell test. The sublingual epithelial buccal cell test is available from IntraCellular Diagnostics, phone (800) 874-4804. This is the only lab doing this buccal cell test at present. The test includes magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride.

Epsom Salt Baths. Epsom Salts is magnesium sulfate. Use only brands that have been tested for purity. Start slowly. Most people use a cup of Epsom Salts in a bath for 20 minutes. However, to start, use less Epsom Salts and less time. The magnesium will lower blood pressure. Some will feel faint at first. Add in a cup of baking soda to the bath. This will improve the absorption of minerals through the skin. Not all children will tolerate these baths.

Iodine. Too much or too little of this is not good. Iodine is necessary for the formation of the thyroid hormone. It also helps keep pathogens under control. Yet too much iodine can form a complex with unsaturated oils and become toxic to the thyroid. A urine iodide test is one of the more accurate ways to test this mineral. Even if low, iodine might not be tolerated if the person has elevated antigens to thyroid. Be careful. Some people are allergic to iodine.  Exposure to chlorine, bromine and fluoride will displace/deplete iodine. Common sources of exposure are swimming pools and pesticides.

Chlorine. This can reduce taurine. It can also interfere with the effectiveness of NDF, a metal chelator. It can also displace iodine. You can get charcoal filters that fit over the bathtub faucet or on the showerhead to remove the chlorine.

Fluoride. This suppresses thyroid and makes mercury more toxic. Look for hidden sources of fluoride. The most common hidden source of fluoride is reconstituted fruit juice that is made with fluoridated water.

Balls. These are used to remove chlorine and fluoride from the bath water. Swish the balls through the water and then remove them before adding Epsom Salts. Otherwise you will ruin the bath balls.