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Unfortunately, it has been proved
beyond doubt that a large percentage of
the United States population suffers from nutritional deficiency.
Studies show,
30% of the general population has a marginal level of Vitamin C and 15%
are
Vitamin C deficient. Low level of vitamins and minerals like, calcium,
iron,
folic acid, magnesium, and chromium continue to be a significant but
common
problem in the United States. It is also being noticed that children
suffering
from Autism are the most common patients for vitamin and mineral
deficiency.
Generally children suffering from Autism have much lower level of
vitamins A,
C, D, and E, and all B vitamins (except choline) and some minerals
(zinc,
magnesium, selenium).
The most common problems that are
detected in children suffering from
nutritional deficiency can be listed as follows:
- High Copper: Zinc ratio
- B12 deficiency
- Calcium deficiency
- Sulfate deficiency
- Vitamin A
Why
children with Autism suffer the
most?
Chronic
diarrhea/constipation:
Malabsorption is a common problem related to Autism. A recent study by
the
Southwest Autism Research Center of over 400 people with autism has
found that
48% reported chronic diarrhea or chronic constipation.
Gastrointestinal
inflammation: Many
patients suffering from Autism experience chronic gastrointestinal
inflammation
and structural compromise in the digestive tract. This intestinal
inflammation
likely reduces nutrient absorption.
Dietary
restrictions: One of the
classic symptoms of autism is restricted interests and behaviors and
this often
extends to choices of food. Restricted, self-limited diets are highly
likely to
be deficient in one or more essential nutrients.
The
Brighter Side
When
we are all concerned with the
increasing rate of autistic children and problems due to lack of
necessary
vitamins and minerals it has also been proved that multivitamin/mineral
nutrient supplement goes a long way in helping these children. These
nutritional supplements significantly contribute towards their
improvement of
IQ, scholastic test scores, and early neurological development.
Children with
learning disabilities experience substantial behavioral, cognitive, and
academic gains by use of these multivitamin nutritional supplements.
Studies
and feedback from parents
of children with Autism has shown that calcium, vitamin C, folic acid,
and
vitamin B6 with magnesium, zinc, niacin, niacinamide, and
dimethylglycine
resulted in improvement in 41–58% of cases.
The
Liquid Vitamin Formula and the
Liquid Mineral Formula (available at http://www.awakennutrition.com
) developed with the advice of
James Adams. Ph.D. Arizona State University is an ideal solution to
meet the
nutritional needs of Autism and ADHD. James B. Adams is a father of a
young
girl with autism, diagnosed in 1994, and that is what led him to
eventually
shift much of his research emphasis to autism, focusing on biological
causes
and treatments.
It
was found in research that a
combination of Vitamin B6 and Magnesium is highly effective in reducing
many of
the deficits and symptoms of autism. Vitamin C has also been shown in a
clinical trial to facilitate a reduction in symptom severity in
children with
autism. Vitamin B6 is significantly elevated in children with autism,
probably
due to defective pyridoxal kinase, implying a functional need for more.
This
may explain why very high doses of vitamin B6 have been shown in
numerous
studies to benefit children with autism. However, further study is
required to
measure pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, PMP, and PLP simultaneously to
validate this
interpretation. Alpha lipoic acid levels should also be higher and
preferably
at par with those found in typical adults.
These
are some of the basic
requirements that must be kept in mind while developing any nutritional
supplements to be effective and contribute towards proper treatment and
growth
of children with autism and people suffering from lack of minerals and
vitamins. James Adams research ahs gifted us with two such multivitamin
nutritional supplements however we should put in continuous effort to
develop
even better solutions and products that would be effective to cure
autism.
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