Could autistic children be the proverbial "canaries in the coal mine" whose nervous systems are more susceptible to the impact of toxic chemicals in the environment, incurring neurological damage even at low exposure levels?

One recent study found that in one group of 18 autistic children, 16 had blood levels of toxic chemicals exceeding adult maximum tolerance.1 This build-up of toxins may not arise simply from excessive exposure, but from a marked inability to process and eliminate toxins from the body. Indeed, when the children were assessed using a biochemical analysis to gauge the body's ability to detoxify substances, researchers found that every child showed out-of-range results suggesting a defect in this two-phase detoxification process. Such a mechanism could lead to a back-up of chemical toxins and increased free radical activity in the body, the researchers explained. Since the blood-brain barrier of children is still not fully developed, these toxic and oxidized molecules could penetrate into regions of the brain and damage neurons, receptors, synapses, enzymes, and cell mitochondria, and also set off autoimmune reactions that trigger further damage.

According to other studies, autistic children may have problems metabolizing and detoxifying certain compounds due to an impaired biochemical process called sulfation. Sulfation plays an important role in the second phase (Phase 2) of the detoxification process. Impaired sulfation could make autistic children more vulnerable to multiple chemical sensitivities. It could also help explain an exacerbation of behavioral problems after children eat foods containing phenol, tyramine, and phenyl compounds, which are normally neutralized through the sulfation process.2,3

Adding further strength to this connection, several studies have supported an association between autism and high body levels of lead.4-6 One team of investigators also reported damage to the intestinal mucosal layer, in the form of increased permeability, in over 40% of autistic children tested. This gastrointestinal dysfunction would allow greater amount of toxins to penetrate the gut barrier into systemic circulation, and thus increase the toxin burden in children unable to properly process this onslaught of toxic agents.

The Detoxification Profile assesses the body's ability to metabolize and eliminate challenge agents from the body. The test can provide important clues about the body's susceptibility to chemical sensitivities and toxic burden, and can provide clinical direction for supporting and improving the body's natural clearance mechanisms.

References:
1 Edelson SB, Cantor DS. Autism: Xenotiobiotic influences. Toxicology and Industrial Health 1998;14(4):553-563.

2 Alberti A, Pirrone P, Elia M, Waring RH, Romano C. Sulphation deficit in "low-functioning" autistic children: a pilot study. Biol Psychiatry 1999;46(3):420-4.

3 McFadden SA. Phenotypic variation in xenobiotic metabolism and adverse environmental response: focus on sulfur-dependent detoxification pathways. Toxicology 1996;111(1-3):43-65.

4 Cohen DJ, Johnson WT, Caparulo BK. Pica and elevated blood lead level in autistic and atypical children. Am J Dis Child 1976;130(1):47-8.

5 Accardo P, Whitman B, Caul J, Rolfe U. Autism and plumbism. A possible association. Clin Pediatr 1988;27(1):41-4.

6 Shannon M, Graef JW. Lead intoxication in children with pervasive developmental disorders. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1996;34(2):177-81.

Call to set up a nutritional consultation so that tests can be performed and a comprehensive strategy of lifestyle, dietary modification and nutrient supplementation can be implemented to aid you in reversing this disorder.

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Dr. Rispoli, Ph.D., L Ac. has had a clinical practice for over 20 years. Her programs work because she is so thorough in testing and providing a nutritional approach. Remember that the body can heal itself if given the proper nutrients.

The information herein is not intended as diagnosis, treatment or a cure. Should you have a medical condition please seek the advice of your medical doctor.