Functional Nutrition for Autism

The Research is In. Nutrition Has a Profound Effect on Autism.

While health practitioners are constantly learning more and more about autism, scientific research has shown that nutrition and vitamin levels play a significant role in autism and its symptoms. Unfortunately, these imbalances are complex and don’t respond well to pills and prescriptions, which makes them hard to tackle using conventional medicine. If you’ve tried getting answers from your primary care pediatrician, you probably know what I mean.

“The assumption of intelligence sets the stage for revealing intelligence and brings dignity and respect.
When a child is respected, I feel like anything can happen.”
Dr. Vaishnavi Sarathy

However, functional nutritionists like myself have pinpointed a few key imbalances that highly correlate with autism. By addressing these imbalances, we can foster equilibrium in the body.

Oxidative Stress

Autistic children suffer from a severe amount of something called high oxidative stress, which is basically an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. The body produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), and these products can damage cellular components, including DNA, proteins, and lipids. This damage can disrupt normal cellular functions and lead to various health issues.

In addition to appearing in autistic individuals, oxidative stress is associated with a wide range of health conditions and diseases, including:

• Aging: it is believed to contribute to the aging process.
  
• Chronic Diseases: oxidative stress is linked to chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
  
• Inflammation: it can trigger inflammation in the body, which is a response to tissue damage.
  
• Tissue Injury: oxidative stress can cause tissue injury and may play a role in conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methylation

Methylation is a biochemical process that involves the addition of a methyl group (CH3) to DNA molecules or other molecules within the body. It plays a crucial role in gene regulation and influences gene expression. Research is clear that abnormal methylation patterns are associated with autism.

Copper Toxicity

Copper is an essential trace element required for various physiological processes in the body, but excess copper can be toxic. The research is clear that copper levels and copper metabolism are associated with autism. We’ve seen that this imbalance leads to high oxidative stress and other symptoms we see in our autistic clients.

Enzyme Function

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions in the body, and they play a critical role in various physiological processes. Enzymes are involved in numerous metabolic pathways, and disruptions in these pathways have been shown to contribute to autism. Some individuals with autism have been found to carry genetic mutations that affect the function of specific enzymes or metabolic pathways.

Gut Health

Gut health is also a huge factor. The GI tract needs to be healed so issues like malabsorption as well as yeast and bacterial overgrowth, all of which cause food sensitivities, can be reversed. Biochemical imbalances are far more sensitized in autism than in any other condition, making it much more intense and difficult. Please note this is inclusive of autism outside of Asperger’s syndrome, a different phenotype.

What is the Best Diet for a Child with Autism?

Most kids with autism are picky eaters and struggle with food sensitivities due to gut inflammation and abnormal intestinal permeability (otherwise known as leaky gut). What foods can help heal autism? 

See a number of free recipes in my journal that you may find helpful.

Not long ago, I worked with a mother who really struggled to help her sweet young boy, Grant. I was honored to be her guide. Today, Grant is better able to communicate with others, repetitive behaviors have reduced dramatically, his ability to focus is much better, and he is now able to enjoy more foods.

In every situation, I create personalized wellness and nutrition plans for your child. There are no cookie-cutter approaches when it comes to autism.

Schedule a Free Consultation

If you are interested in learning more about nutrition therapy for an autistic child, the first step is to schedule a free consultation. It’s important to find a practitioner who fits your child’s needs and your family’s values. Let’s meet to see if function nutrition is right for you.

Together, we can provide your child with a diet that supports wellness, health, and happiness.

Of important note: our definition of autism, as defined by Dr. Albert Mensah of Mensah Medical, is much narrower than conventional medicine statistical data that includes Asperger Syndrome, which is a very different genetic, epigenetic, and biochemical phenotype with much different cognitive capacities than autism. Those studies are using autism spectrum disorder as an umbrella term that incorporates conditions such as Asperger’s that are not autism, both of which should never have been added to the DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition).