Autism information and ADHD information

Introduction

There are many conditions in Western industrialised societies today that were unheard of, or at least very rare, just a century ago. The same conditions are still unheard of in primitive peoples who do not have the 'benefits' of our knowledge. There is a very good reason for this: They eat what Nature intended; we don't. The diseases caused by our incorrect and unnatural diets are those featured on these pages.

Dietary causes:

Autism:

ADHD:

Autism information

What is autism?

• impaired ability to make friends with peers
• impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
• stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
• restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
• preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
• inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals
• engaging in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behaviour such as biting or head-banging.
• failure to respond to their name
• avoidance of eye contact with other people
• reduced sensitivity to pain
• increased sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation

A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to interaction with other children.
Other ASDs include Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified)
Children with autism appear to have a higher than normal risk for certain other conditions such as epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of ‘I' or ‘me'.

Prevalence of autism

Until the end of the 1980s, the prevalence of infantile autism (the former name of childhood autism) had been reported to be 4-5 per 10000. In the late 1980s, three Japanese studies[i] reported a high prevalence of infantile autism ranging from 13.0 to 15.5 per 10,000. twenty years later high rates of childhood autism were also reported by European[ii] and American[iii] researchers. There were no ethnic difference in the high prevalence of ASDs. A recent UK study reported a much higher rate of autism than had previously been thought: 116•1 per 10,000.[iv] this figure was based on a study of 56,946 children aged 9-10 years in 12 districts in southeast Thames, UK.[v]
In the UK over 500,000 children are autistic with four times as many boys as girls.

What causes autism?

Autism is thought to have both a genetic and an environmental component. Studies of autism suggest that autism could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development.
I think we can rule out a genetic cause. Professor Jean Golding of Bristol University points out that there has been a huge increase in numbers of cases of autism in the last 20 to 30 years. That tells us that the condition cannot be genetic. The biggest increase in cases has been in the wealthier classes. This again tells us it cannot be genetic and, lastly, people affected by thalidomide also had much higher levels of autism: thalidomide damage is not genetic. So the recent large increase must be due to environmental factors.
The cause seems almost certain to be environmental. Several studies did suggest a causal relation of some environmental factors with pervasive developmental disorders. Of those, measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and thimerosal, a mercury-containing vaccine preservative, were two prime suspects. However, among many other compelling lines of evidence, the continuous increase in the incidence of pervasive developmental disorders after cessation of use of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in a northern district of Yokohama city, Japan,[vi] and of thimerosal-containing vaccine use in Denmark[vii] is a strong and overwhelming refutation for any such suspicion.

How is autism treated?

There is no cure for autism. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that target the core symptoms of autism: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and obsessive or repetitive routines and interests. Most professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.

• Educational/behavioral interventions: Therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills. Family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with autism often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with an autistic child.
• Medications: Doctors often prescribe an antidepressant medication to handle symptoms of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anti-psychotic medications are used to treat severe behavioral problems. Seizures can be treated with one or more of the anticonvulsant drugs. Stimulant drugs, such as those used for children with attention deficit disorder (ADD), are sometimes used effectively to help decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Conventional physicians tend to warn about alternative therapies or interventions available for autistic children, but few, if any, are supported by scientific studies, saying that ‘parents should use caution before adopting any of these treatments'. However, some autistic patients have been shown to have increased antibodies to gluten and casein;[viii] and a recent study found that many people with autistic children did find that their autistic children did benefit from a gluten free, casein free diet. Benefits have been reported is 75% of cases.[ix]

ADHD information

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not a single disease, but a collection of symptoms and signs that seems to get in the way of a child being educated. The usual signs are that a child is inattentive or uncontrollable in class. The typical signs are:

• Inattentive — easily distracted and unable to concentrate for long on a subject; failing to pay attention to details and making careless mistakes; rarely following instructions carefully and completely; losing or forgetting things such as toys, or pencils, books and tools needed for a task
• Impulsive — blurting out answers before hearing the whole question and having difficulty waiting for their turn.
• Hyperactive — feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming; running, climbing or leaving a seat in situations where sitting or quiet behaviour is expected
• Easily bored

The teacher or school administrator is usually the one who suggests that the child see a doctor (psychiatrist or paediatrician) whom they know will put the child on Ritalin — known as a 'chemical cosh' — or a similar drug. In 2005, there were some 30,000 British children on Ritalin. In this we are following the American lead. According to statistics supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act, as many as 10% of the US population has symptoms of ADHD and, even with drug treatment, it frequently persists into adulthood. But these drugs are indiscriminate; they alter brain chemistry in ways other than just quieting children. And the side effects can be serious and very long lasting.

The last decade has seen medical care for ADHD grow into a huge industry. But it doesn't pretend to cure the problem, merely the symptoms.

Yet the most common finding in children with ADHD is hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), and that is caused by a high-carb diet. When individuals have a low blood sugar response, the body releases adrenaline to raise blood sugar levels. In children, this may cause them to act aggressively.

Food helps some people with ADHD to feel calm. But the foods most eaten are those rich in sugar and other carbohydrates such as sweets, cakes, pasta and fruit.

Dr. Benjamin Feingold, a California paediatrician, noticed that many hyperactive children became excited after eating foods containing high concentrations of salicylates. These occur naturally in many fruits and vegetables and are especially concentrated in grapes, raisins, nuts, apples, and oranges. A study performed at the Hospital for Sick Children in London, published in the British journal, Lancet, demonstrated that most children with severe ADHD are salicylate sensitive, but that 90% of these children have additional food allergies.[x] These included: cow's milk products, corn (an additive in many prepared foods), eggs, wheat, and soya.

Other lines of research point to high levels of seed-sourced omega-6 fatty acids such as are found in margarines and cooking oils, which unbalance omega-6 to omega-3 ratios;[xi] and a number of chemical food additives.

Considering the whole weight of evidence, cutting out processed 'convenience' foods will avoid almost all the probable causes of ADHD. This is a much healthier way to treat ADHD than with drugs. ADHD could really be 'A Demand for a Healthy Diet'.

References