Table of Contents

 

Introduction 2
Table of Contents 3
Table of Figures 11
A Spectrum of improvement 13
A dairy-free diet (30% improvement) 13
Omega-3 fatty acids (33% improvement) 15
A gluten-free diet (57% improvement in communication) 15
Magnesium & vitamin B6 (47% improvement in communication) 16
Vitamin D (25% improvement) 17
Tryptophan is needed for brain serotonin 18
Digestive enzymes (50% improvement) 18
Vitamin C improved autistic symptoms 19
Antioxidants including glutathione are low in autism 19
Coenzyme Q10 (21% improvement in communication) 19
Melatonin improved sleep and behavior in autism 20
Nutrients can be low in autism 20
Vitamin B12 (10% Improvement) 21
Vitamin A is low in autism and supplementation improves symptoms 22
Folate can be low in autism and supplementation improves behavior in nine out of ten cases 22
Multivitamins for autism 23
Broccoli sprout extract (34% improvement in behavior) 23
Zinc supplements (7% improvement) 23
Mercury contributes to permeability of intestine and blood-brain barrier 24
Non-nutrient therapies 24
Understanding Autism 25
Accompanying autism 26
The autism spectrum 26
Prevalence of autism spectrum 27
Brain changes in autism 28
Contributing causes to autism spectrum disorder: 29
Genes and epigenetics 29
Pregnancy factors that increase the risk of autism 30
Epilepsy is more common in autism 30
Glutamate, excitotoxicity, and seizure 31
Testing for Autism 32
Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Rating Scale 32
Behavioral Summarized Evaluation-BSE 32
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) 33
Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist 34
Documenting autism 34
What can we do to improve behavior? 36
Behavior ratings by parents 36
A checklist for a broad approach 37
Healthy lifestyles 39
Drugs for autism 39
Haldol 39
Risperdal 40
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors 40
Naltrexone 40
Lithium 40
Tegretol and Depakene 41
Serotonin, Vitamin D, and Tryptophan 42
Tryptophan, serotonin and autism 42
Tryptophan is required for serotonin in the brain 43
Tryptophan and serotonin in the body and in the brain 43
Tryptophan sources 44
Vitamin D increases serotonin in the brain 44
Vitamin D is Low in autism 45
Vitamin D, serotonin and diarrhea 45
Vitamin D deficiencies and supplements 46
Lower vitamin D improved the CARS score 46
Vitamin D supplementation improved behavior in 80% of ASD children 47
Vitamin D upper limits for children 49
Estrogen, vitamin D, and serotonin in autism 50
Vitamin D improved autism 50
A clinical trial of vitamin D for autism 51
Kynurenine and quinolinic acids 52
Vitamin D, glutathione, and nerve growth factors 53
Autism, Vitamin B6, and Magnesium 55
Magnesium and vitamin B6 for neurotransmitters 55
Difficulties converting vitamin B6 to its active form 55
Magnesium and B-vitamins improved behavior 56
Autistic children were low in magnesium 56
Magnesium & vitamin B6 improved behavior 57
Autism and minerals 59
Inflammation in Autism 60
Inflammatory cytokines in autism 60
Inflammation can trigger autoimmunity 60
Inflammation and oxidation 60
Inflammation and coagulation 61
Gastrointestinal Problems, Intestinal Permeability, and Gluten/Casein Free Diets 62
Diet can be the first step 62
Gastrointestinal problems are common in autism 62
Excess serotonin can increase diarrhea 63
About half of autistic children have excess intestinal permeability 63
Testing intestinal permeability 64
Causes of leaky gut 64
Opiate exorphins in the brain from leaky gut 65
Protein-digesting enzymes and autism 66
Exorphins and serotonin may be key factors in autism 66
Indifference and exorphins from wheat and dairy 67
Immunity and exorphin peptides from wheat and dairy 67
Inflammation may increase exorphin peptides 68
Leaky intestines and blood-brain barrier 68
Exorphins and neurotransmitter systems in the brain 69
Opioid peptides in autistic urine 69
Gluten and casein free diet improved behavior 70
Gluten and casein free diet may take 6 months 71
One year gluten/casein-free diet improved behavior 71
A gluten/casein free diet improved behavior and reduced urinary peptides 72
A one year gluten/casein diet improved behavior 72
Nutrition on a gluten and casein free diet 74
Gluten/Casein diet improved 81% of ASD children 74
Gluten/Casein free diet for ASD children with GI symptoms 75
Gluten free diet & GI symptoms 76
Removing dairy and allergens improved behavior 77
Elimination diets 77
Dairy casein and inflammatory bowel disease 78
Dairy casein can cause intestinal bleeding in infants 79
Beta-Casomorphin-7 correlates with symptom severity 79
Beta-Casomorphin-7 lowers glutathione 80
Exorphins and social indifference 82
Opioid peptides from milk & wheat 83
Fiber reduces intestinal inflammation 83
Digestive enzymes improved ASD behavior 84
Digestive enzymes improved behavior in 50-90% of cases 84
Oxidation and Autism 87
Oxidation and inflammation in autistic brains 87
Higher oxidation correlates with worse symptoms 87
Glutathione is reduced 37% in autism spectrum disorder 88
Decreased glutathione correlates with worse autism 88
Low vitamin E and vitamin C in autism 89
Vitamin E was only half as much in autistic children 90
Vitamin C improved symptoms in ASD 91
Oxidative damage and effect on behavior 92
Autism, oxidation, and malondialdehyde 93
Cellular oxidation is higher in the autistic brain 94
Antioxidants and mitochondrial dysfunction 94
Vitamin B, C, D, and E can help reduce oxidation 95
Antioxidants were low and needed in autism 95
More antioxidants are needed in autism 96
Glutathione and other liver support nutrients 96
Coenzyme Q10 protects the brain and improves energy 97
Coenzyme Q10 improved communication and sleep 97
Melatonin is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory 98
Melatonin improved sleep and behavior in autism 99
Melatonin reduced cognitive decline and improved sleep 99
Nutrition and Autism 100
Nutrients consumed by autistic children 100
10% Improvement with vitamin B12 101
Vitamin B12 is only one-third of normal in autistic brains 101
Vitamin A is low in autism and supplementation improves symptoms 103
Cow’s milk damages the human folate receptor 103
Folate can be low in autism and supplementation improves behavior in nine out of ten cases 104
Food additives, colorings, sweeteners, preservatives 104
Multivitamins for autism 105
Autism and Fever 106
Fever and heat shock proteins 106
Sulforaphane, a 34% improvement in behavior 107
Sulforaphane is protective of the brain in autism 108
Autism and Environmental Pollutants 109
Bisphenol A and autism 109
Autism and heavy metals 110
Zinc supplements 110
Zinc supplements improved behavior seven percent 111
Zinc was low in autism 111
Pesticides and autism 112
Inner city pesticides and pervasive development disorder 113
Air pollution and autism 114
PCBs and PBDEs in autism 115
44% of autistic children have high lead levels 117
Plastics and autism 118
Flooring material and autism 119
Autism and Mercury 121
Mercury in vaccines can cause brain cell death 122
Thimerosal damages the brain at very low concentrations 123
Mercury contributes to the permeability of intestine and blood-brain barrier 123
Ethylmercury is a mitochondrial toxin 124
Ethylmercury Thimerosal 124
Ethylmercury can cause autistic behavior 125
Glutathione, cysteine, or n-acetylcysteine supplementation for mercury 125
Flu vaccines, Thimerosal, and development disorders 126
Increased Risks of autism with Thimerosal 127
Vaccines with Thimerosal exceeded US EPA guidelines 128
Omega-3s and Autism 130
Omega-3 fatty acids were low in autism 130
Omega-3s for autism 130
88% of autistic children taking omega-3s improved 33% 133
More Therapies for Autism 134
Horseback therapy 134
Massage for autism 134
Calamus for autism 135
Iron deficiency is common in autism 135
Safe autism treatments 136
Index 137
References 139

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