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Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
- Patients with autism spectrum disorders tend to have greater prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders.
- Many autism patients have food aversion and are picky eaters.
- Most of the pharmacological treatments in vogue currently have strikingly little evidence to support their use.
- Many parents have undertaken complementary and alternative treatments (CAM) especially nutritional interventions.
- Omega-3 fatty acid (n-fatty acids) supplementation has been advocated by many experts.
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are part of 12-step autism treatment program.
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Essential fatty acids
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
- Play critical role in function of nervous system as well as immune system
- Not synthesized in human body.
- Hence need to be consumed in diet or as supplements.
- Some fatty acids are conditionally essential
Omega-3 versus Omega-6 fatty acids
Long chain omega -3 fatty acids
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) mainly from fish and sea food.
- Most of the DHA build up in the brain occurs during late pregnancy to the third trimester of pregnancy to the second year of life.
- Conversion from ALA to DHA is more efficient in the developing brain than in the well-developed brain.
- Exogenous sources as diet is an important source for maintaining adequate DHA levels in adult brain.
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Short chain omega-3 fatty acids
- Alphalinolenic acid (ALA) mainly derived from vegetarian sources such as flaxseed, grains, soya beans and olives
- ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA to a modest degree by the human body
Omega-6 fatty acids (example Linolenic acid (LA)
- Major sources include derived from vegetable oils and animal fat
- Target ratio of omega-3 versus omega-6 fatty acids has been suggested to be 1:1 to 4:1
- Modern diet frequently exceeds these ratios increasing potential for sickness.
Essential fatty acids and nervous system
- Play a critical role in brain functions and transmission across nerves
- Balance between various essential fatty acids is a major determinant in the maturation of brain function.
- Inadequate 3-PUFA during the perinatal period in animal models leasd to disordered learning, neurotransmission and visual processes
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can cross blood brain barrier and enter brain
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
How Omega-3 fatty acids may be important in ASD
- Reduced omega-3 fatty acids with or without changges in omega-6 fatty acids (increased imbalance) has been linked to nervous system disorders like ADD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
- Role in pathogenesis of depression and schizophrenia.
- Some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is of benefit in cases of depression and Alzheimer’s disease
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Increasing Incidence of Autism and Traditional versus Modern diet
- Ancient diets contained higher amount of wild sea food and fats from grass fed animals
- Modern diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids
- Modern diet contains excess of omega-6 fatty acids
- Fat in modern diet is mainly derived from vegetable sources and rich in omega-6 fatty acids
- Modern food processes like hydrogenation used to extend shelf life result in decrease in omega-3 fatty acids thus increasing the imbalance
Omega-3 fatty acid deficits may be patient specific
- May have greater than average requirement especially in case of inefficient metabolic processes
Evidence for omega-3 supplementation in autism spectrum disorders
- Most data is uncontrolled studies/reports (Johnson 2003, Patrick 2005; Bell 2004)
- Two small randomized controlled trials (Amminger 2007 and Bent 2011) with conflicting results
- Amminger study from Medical University of Vienna, Vienna demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids are superior to placebo for improving hyperactivity and stereotypy.
- Bent study from University of California, San Francisco, CA, showed no effect although authors offered a disclaimer that “small sample size does not exclude small to moderate beneficial effects".
- A metaanalysis (Montgomery and Williams 2011) combining the above two studies concluded that “effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids for ASD cannot be determined” since there is “insufficient evidence” indicating that omega-3 fatty acids are effective in ASD. Authors recommended that high quality, large randomized controlled trials to resolve the issue.
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Dr. Minocha’s comments on implications of above
- Both the controlled trials enrolled too few subjects especially for a disorder as heterogeneous as autism.
- Only large randomized controlled trials can resolve the issue of potential benefits.
- Based on available clinical and preclinical data and our modern diet, it is my opinion that omega-3 fatty acid supplements have potential to be of benefit in at least a subset of patients with autism spectrum disorders.
FREE at Barnes & Noble: Doctor's Guide to Milk and Your Health: The Good, The Bad or The Slow Poison
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
More treatment strategies at the 12-point treatment program for autism.
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