Of course I am not talking about bravery or determination, but a healthy gut system.

As well as Austism, I also include ADHD, ADD, and Asperger’s–these are also manifestations of a gut/brain disorder. The knowledge of this is not new (how the brain is linked to the gut). Hippocrates in Ancient Greece said, “let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

There have been many studies on Autism and Digestive System. James Adams, Director of Just One Autism/Asperger’s Research Program said,

“One of the reasons we started addressing this topic is the fact that autistic children have a lot of GI problems that can last into adulthood,”

And Krajmalnik-Brown (a researcher for the program) said:

“Studies have shown that when we manage these problems, their behavior improves dramatically.”

There is no possible solution without a full diet change and this is especially difficult for Gut/Brain disorders, as the determination needed to achieve a healthy gut is undermined by an abnormal fixation with unhealthy foods. Change is difficult for most human beings, but it seems almost impossible for those with a Gut/ Brain disorder or those caring for sufferers, especially children.

It is estimated that 15 years ago, around 1 in 10,000 kids had autism in the U.S. Now it is estimated to be 1 in 50.

At this rate, what will it be in another 15 years’ time? I know I’ve suffered from many of the symptoms of a Gut/Brain disorder and still do if I fall off the ‘healthy food wagon’. Many people feel like they are suffering, but also find it isn’t easy to change their diet – even if their life depends upon it. That’s because it can be difficult for some to change a lifetime of poor dietary choices.

The topic for this week’s newsletter came to me while watching a programme of a guy whose health was so bad he decided to consume only juiced vegetables and fruits for 60 days. Not only did he lose lots of weight, get off his prescription drugs and look much healthier but one of his employees in his business pointed out his thinking andclarity of decision making had considerably improved.

I have no doubt that since he was only eating (juicing) raw fresh foods, he was also taking in friendly bacteria as well
as feeding the existing friendly bacteria, which would accelerate his recovery (plus he had cut out dairy, carbs etc). Maybe the simple solution is to do anything we can to improve our gut, then everything after that may become much easier?

Easy steps for a healthy Gut/Brain (all supported by studies), include:

  • Taking a powerful Probiotic such as Prescript Biotics, which can be opened and mixed with any food. Studies show the brain is affected positively with this. Taking specific relaxation supplements such as RelaxWell, to help with the anxiety that causes changes and for a more relaxed sleep (opened and mixed for easy use).
  • Taking critical nutrients missing from the diet, including Nascent Iodine Drops (4 drops x 4 times per day in a little water), and a good multivitamin such as Active Life (90 liquid vitamins in one)/MaxiVision containing selenium as a critical co-factor of Iodine.
  • Taking BrainPower for its effective DHA/ MCT’s/curcumin is helpful and is good for mixing in foods.
  • Krill Oil, Fish Oil complex or Hemp Oil for vegans.
  • Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil Lotion. A better alternative is Magnesium Oil with added plant derived Melatonin (see studies at end)
  • Diet is the one solution that will make the biggest change. The diet that makes a dramatic difference is the ‘My Really Healthy Foods’ diet. There are lots of other recipes on the internet and you can find them by searching on ‘Ketogenic’ recipes and ‘Paleo’ recipes.

When it comes to children, get the mixing bowl out and start making the ‘Olivia’s Chocolate Brownies’ and ‘Ann’s Chocolate Cake’. There are many delicious desserts that will help to sweeten the change! See www.ReallyHealthyFoods.com.

The initial cause of Gut/Brain disorders arises from lack of friendly bacteria available at birth or in the first year. It is also likely to be compounded by vaccinations, the latest studies confirm. The good news- it is a dysfunction – not a life sentence.

STUDIES

Iodine Deficiency Linked to Autisim- In a number of countries with reported increases in autism, there has been a concomitant increase in the prevalence of iodine deficiency.

(3 4 5) Further evidence that Iodine deficiency during the prenatal period, has been associated with a number of adverse effects on the brain resulting in a continuum of effects from mild to severe, depending on the degree of iodine deficiency, from lowered IQ to severe mental retardation, i.e., cretinism. The mechanism of iodine deficiency is that insufficient levels of iodine lead to an imbalance in thyroid hormone metabolism with a decrease in circulating thyroxin (T4) in both the pregnant mother and the foetus. This results in irreversible changes in brain architecture such as less dense neural connections.

(6) It has been reported that some children with autism have “underconnectivity” in certain regions of the brain.

(7)http://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/iodine-deficiency-cause-autism – According to World Health Organization, in 2007, nearly 2 billion individuals had insufficient iodine intake, a third being of school age. Thus, iodine deficiency, as the single greatest preventable cause of mental retardation, is an important public-health problem.”

Melatonin for sleep in children with autism: a controlled trial examining dose, tolerability, and outcomes.Malow B,Adkins KW, et al.,

Sleep Disorders Division, Department of Neurology and Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. beth.malow@vanderbilt.edu

Supplemental melatonin has shown promise in treating sleep onset insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-four children, free of psychotropic medications, completed an open- label dose-escalation study to assess dose-response, tolerability, safety, feasibility of collecting actigraphy data, and ability of outcome measures to detect change during a 14-week intervention. Supplemental melatonin improved sleep latency, as measured by actigraphy, in most children at 1 or 3 mg dosages.

It was effective in week 1 of treatment, maintained effects over several months, was well tolerated and safe, and showed improvement in sleep, behaviour, and parenting stress. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on supplemental melatonin for insomnia in ASD.