Autism - A metabolic condition?

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I've just been listening to a woman on LBC radio. There was a discussion on autism and she has apparently 'cured' her 10 and a half year old daughter by heavily supplementing her (she didn't say with what).

She claimed that autism was a metabolic condition which throws the body out of kilt. This then manifests itself as a neurological condition even though it's not neurological at all. She stated that there should be no autistic children anywhere as it's completely curable.

I'd like to buy some of these 'magic curable' supplements for my son.

I'm so mad! Your thoughts?

I don't see how multivitamins can actually cure anything. If anything, excess of these "supplements" isn't healthy. Sounds like holistic nonsense from someone who knows absolutely nothing about medicine. Magic pill my butt.

I hope this mystical panacea of miracles isn't anything similar to the multivitamins doctors put my mother on in the 1970's to "cure" her anxiety attacks- which were basically unhealthy doses of B12 and Niacin. Things that make people sick in large amounts!

I'd be mad too.

Well, I've read a lot of books about autism and AS and I've never come across any such theory. I am extremely sceptical.

That sounds a bit like orthomolecular psychiatry (megavitamin treatments). I was subjected to that myself when I was in my teens (until my old child psychiatrist told my mother that it was not supported in double-blind studies).

Well, that may or may not be what this person had in mind. However, I have always tried to look before I leaped.

It seems to me like this is another example of a capitalist trying to make a buck off of someone else's suffering.

As I recall, orthomolecular psychiatrists prescribe large doses of various vitamins, including vitamin E.

Well, here is a good summary:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthomolecular_medicine

Here is a promotional website:

http://www.orthomolecular.org/

Again, I think it is prudent to be extremely cautious. I would not trust proponents of this approach to provide the entire story. Check the current literature on the subject.

Well, I have hormonal problems (underactive thyroid & probably others if they cared to look) so I can't rule this out, but I think even if it were true it's a bit late for a "cure" now!

I wonder whether it is possible , very tentative very qualified, that there is/are "false", or metabolic autisms/PDDs/SPDs, which disappear on treatment with dietary changes; multi-vits and mins , or casein and gluten exclusion, other "therapeutic" diets, or avoidance of certain chemicals in some cases.
It's just a thought.
That some autisms/autistic behaviours are not as "fixed" by genetic predisposition, and can be ameliorated or "cured" by metabolic therapies. Because it is clear that for over 60 years now experts in the field of food and chemical intolerance for instance have been successfully treating various disabling sensory and cognitive conditions, amongst other things, which in many cases resemble autistic spectrum disorders.
Maybe metabolic autism/ASDs/SPDs exist.
In those whose genes predispose them to react to certain environmental factors in a certain way ( fail to digest gluten just one example), a kind of " false" autism might be provoked, curable by eliminating or compensating for that factor.
Just looking at the list of symptoms of food intolerance on a reliable site shows how many of them are actually similar, or identical to sensory and cognitive disorders as experienced by many Aspergers on here for instance.
The cases in which childrens AS-"style" difficulties,( violent emotional fits and physical self damage, periods of blank incomprehension, and overreaction to changes in environment, etc etc) are "cured" by excluding certain foods from their diet exist from well before autism and aspergers were so well known, and in fact make no reference to either disorder, simply recording how the problem was treated, and cured. They don't surprise me because i know how much calmer, more grounded, i am when off wheat etc.
Perhaps there are metabolic ASDs? !

I found this interesting article on Quackwatch:

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ortho.html

An excerpt:

Subsequently, an American team using an extensive computer search was able to locate 12 studies on B6 and magnesium for autism. Their analysis, published in 1995, concluded:

The majority of studies report a favorable response to vitamin treatment. However, interpretation of these positive findings needs to be tempered because of methodological shortcomings inherent in many of the studies. For example, a number of studies employed imprecise outcome measures, were based on small samples and possible repeat use of the same subjects in more than one study, did not adjust for regression effects in measuring improvement, and omitted collecting long-term follow-up data.

Yes, the support for multi vit and min therapy does seem a bit thin. I've always been a bit suspicious of it for the reason Alex mentioned above; they tend to be shockingly expensive ! ! However Carl Pfeiffer, (quoted as source in the article?) was nevertheless responsible for identifying a mineral essential /useful in treatment of a certain mental illness, but can't remember whether was zinc or what. Which seems to be fairly well accepted , so think there's something in it, if not necessarily the claims made for hugely over-priced supplements in general.

Otherwise it's not so much the ASD which is being cured , if there is improvement, as illness/further incapacity surrounding it. Cognitive or sensory issues exacerbated by whatever environmental factor seems to be a problem for the body. The AS remains, and "isn't so bad", but the worst behaviours/difficulties are sig reduced.
When think that refined sugars and carbohydrates were never consumed by human species until about 3,500 years ago it wouldn't be surprising if many people were suffering from the persistently depressing, fatiguing, mental confusion producing, irritability-inducing, anxiety/panic/paranoia creating, aggressivity-increasing effects of permanent Vitamin B-complex deficiency for example.
The solution isn't to swallow supplements tho, but to stop eating refined carbohydrates ( white bread, white rice, pasta, white sugar etc) which use up Vit Bs at the expense of the body.

I believe it was magnesium. However, I find it interesting that orthomolecular psychiatrists use the same term for orthodox medicine as do homeopaths - allopathy.

Magnesium was supposed to be effective for autism, zinc and manganese for schizophrenia; just looked it up on the Wiki link you provided above, thank you!
I prefer naturopathic medicine ( to homeopathy, which i think might well be in the mind!), in which supplements are a last resort if cannot achieve satisfactory health through sunshine, exercise and a balanced diet of fresh, seasonal, organic, unrefined foods ( excluding any which are intolerant to, of course).

What bothers me most about many peoples dismissal of dietary therapies is how our society is so attached to its curative ( rather than preventative) approach to disease, and to its pharmaceuticals, that the very first thing to look at in case of any kind of mental or physical disorder/dysfunction; DIET, is more often than not the very LAST thing investigated .
This illogicality leads to much wasting of time and money, aswell as human suffering. I am NOT suggesting religious attachment to dietary rules ( christian science style ignoring of reality for example), but simple common sense of trying something relatively cheap ( if avoid touted supplements) , relatively under our control, which can have significant effects, FIRST!
Why is diet treated as something so irrelevant? Even if it couldn't cure AS it could reduce many associated disabling behaviours/conditions. So few people are interested in the possibility, despite lengthy and repeated catalogues of minor, major, chronic, acute health-problems, well within the scope of diet to reduce or eliminate. Astonishingly large numbers of people seem to prefer that their ill-health be someone elses responsibility, than something they can do something about themselves. And if do look into alternatives are also likely to remain passive, credulous, uncritical.

Oh well, mini rant over!!

Last edited by ouinon on 20 Nov 2007, 10:28 am, edited 2 times in total.

"It seems to me like this is another example of a capitalist trying to make a buck off of someone else's suffering."

My apologies, I'm compelled to hijack based on this statement, which is in itself a hijack. Capitalism is not to blame, and I challenge this smear. Capitalism is free trade, no one is forced to buy any vaccine. That would be a case of fraud, not capitalism. See what quality of medicine you get in a socialist/communist country. The above statement does a great disservice to those who trade honestly.

Actually, the quality of medicine in the U.S., arguably the most capitalist country in the world, is one of the worst in the industrialized world. More socialist countries, like those in Scandanavia or the Netherlands, have a much higher quality of medicine (and more universal care) overall.

The problem is an lack of money. The effectiveness of most dietary therapies is largely a question mark, since they do not have the funds needed to support quality research.