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by Kent MacLeod B.Sc.Phm.
Autism is suddenly big news and that it very good news for every parent. It’s about time we focused on the root of this, and other brain-related diseases in children. When you consider the shocking fact that almost one in every 150 children born today has some form of autism(1), we’d better start looking outside the box.
Autism is, and remains, a baffling disorder does not deal with cause. We do not know what causes it and we do not have any universally effective “medical” interventions. Our current interventions are educational and supportive. This also can be said for our treatment of attention deficit disorder and other brain- related issues.
Medical therapy consisting of medication, does not deal with cause. Long-term side effects of “brain medication” continue to be discovered and remain a major concern of parents and professionals. Some think of these medications as band-aid solutions until the cause is identified.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School and other medical professionals have recently found immune abnormalities and gastro-intestinal symptoms from eating certain foods, in children with autism (2,3).Gastroenterologists have proven that over 70% of autistic children have bowels that are abnormal (4).
More and more research is pointing to a complex interaction between environmental factors, genetics, and biological and metabolic issues as potential causes of this disease.(5). Although medical professionals may not agree on what may cause autism, they do agree that the earlier the child is diagnosed, the better the outcomes (6).
That’s why “body chemistry balancing” is becoming such an important tool in diagnosing brain-related diseases. It focuses on dealing with the cause and uses natural substances to, in essence, balance the body’s metabolism. Body chemistry balancing uses laboratory testing of blood, urine and stool to measure over 100 different components in the body.The analysis provides a very clear picture of chemical imbalances in the body, providing a “game plan” for bio-medical intervention. This entire process is very cost-efficient compared to experimentation, lack of planning, adverse effects and the overall life impact and cost of autism.
On the DAN (Defeat Autism Now) web-site there is a list of every drug and every bio-medical therapy that parents and doctors have tried (7). It simply describes whether it helped, made no difference or made the condition worse. The late Bernie Rimland, who was a friend and colleague, produced this web-site so that parents could find out what works based on the experience of thousands of parents.
There are a significant number of interventions that have been remarkably effective in some children. But it is confusing. Why would calcium have a positive benefit in one child and have completely the opposite effect in another child?
This is where body chemistry balancing can help eliminate the confusion. By measuring these bio-medical pathways we are more likely to help children quicker and more cost effectively with fewer adverse reactions. Test results provide invaluable information that greatly lessens the guesswork when figuring out how to treat these children.
Dietary interventions have had dramatic and consistent benefits in autism and they can not be ignored. Specific carbohydrates, proteins (such as gluten found in grains and casein in milk) and fungus have repeatedly been linked to autism (8,9). An organized and scientifically-based plan to deal with these dietary issues is the proper way to approach this issue.
Just as we should never put the horse before the cart, body chemistry balancing tests and the subsequent “game plan” should always be the first step for the treatment of autism as well as ADD, ADHD and other brain-related diseases. It is just plain common sense.
Kent McLeod, B.Sc.Phm. is a much-honoured pharmacist whose Ottawa-based NutriChem Bio-Medical Centre specializes in body chemistry balancing. Kent has been working with children with Down syndrome, autism, ADD and other conditions for over 25 years. He is the author of Down Syndrome and Vitamin Therapy . (www.nutrichem.com)
References
1. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries February 9, 2007 / Vol. 56 / No. SS-1 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5601.pdf
2. CBC News. ( September 27, 2007) Scientists make gut-brain connection to autism. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/09/27/autism-study.html
3. Calgary Harold - CanWest News Service (September 28, 2007) Autism a whole body disorder - Scientists find problems in several organs.
4. White, JF. (2003) Intestinal Pathophysiology in Autism. Exp Biol Med 228:639–649.
5. Steyaert JG, De La Marche W. (2008) What's new in autism? Eur J Pediatr. 2008 Jul 3. [Epub ahead of print]
6. CDC Foundation. Autism - Learn the Signs, Act Early. http://www.cdcfoundation.org/healththreats/autism.aspx
7. Autism Research Institute (2008) Parent Ratings of Behavorial Effects of Biomedical Interventions. http://www.autism.com/treatable/form34qr.htm
8. The Environmental Illness Resource. Autism Spectrum Disorders.
9. Autism Society Canada. Biomedical Approaches.
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