Step 7 - Basic Supplements
WORK IN PROGRESS
There are so many supplements discussed for children with autism it can be overwhelming. Some supplements have been extremely helpful for our kids while others have had negative side effects. If you are curious about a certain supplement, please go to the Health, then Supplements tabs where we have given an overview of many of the supplements we've heard connected to autism.
Each child with Health Induced Autism is so different that it's impossible to say exactly which supplements will benefit your particular child. But there are a few supplements we've come across that we feel comfortable recommending because they help to build a healthy foundation.
ENZYMES
We think most children with autism (and even most neurotypical children) could benefit from taking enzymes. A good, broad spectrum enzyme taken with each meal can be helpful for ensuring proper digestion and bowel health.
A lot of DAN! doctors stress the importance of buying an enzyme that contains DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase IV). We think it's important as well. DPP-IV is the only known enzyme to break down casomorphine. It is theorized that people with autism have DPP-IV deficiency therefore, they do not break down certain proteins (like gluten and casein) correctly. Instead, the proteins build up and cause an opioid excess (i.e., cause your child to feel "high" like they would feel if they were on morphine). Taking an enzyme with DPP-IV helps break down proteins and prevent opioid excess. However, we don't recommend taking an enzyme with DPP-IV as a substitute for a Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet and even if your child is Gluten/Casein free, he/she can still benefit from DPP-IV.
Enzymes that contain DPP-IV are (source: http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsgfcf.htm#11):
PROBIOTICS
Another supplement we feel safe in saying that all children could likely benefit from are probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria."
The use of good probiotics is important in healing many chronic gastrointestinal problems that are so often associated in those with ASD. Some experts feel that ASD children need several times the amount of probiotics than those without GI problems, due to the frequency of dysbiosis (overgrowth of yeast, bacteria, etc.) and "Leaky Gut" (intestinal permeability) problems.
Benefits of Probiotics:
Probiotic strength is measured in CFUs (colony forming units) per capsule. For therapeutic benefits, references varied widely from 250 million – 20 billion viable organisms/day. It is best to check with your doctor, or you can start slowly and build-up to a level you feel is most beneficial.
Talk to others and about quality issues, and what works best. Choose a probiotic that has been extensively researched with a great deal of scientific support behind it. Don't buy any product unless it has the manufacture date right on the bottle. Probiotic products, especially lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, lose a lot of potency after 4-10 months. Products last longer when they are refrigerated, although some products do not require refrigeration.
When to take probiotics varies by brand. Always check the label and follow the recommendation of the manufacturer. Some say to take on an empty stomach; some say to take with food so that the food can buffer the organisms; some say to take in the morning because of stomach acid content; some can be taken anytime.
The acid and salts in the gut will harm certain probiotics. Manufacturers take this into account when designing a formulation and preparing the capsules. Some capsules are specially coated so the microorganisms will safely reach their destination. Others need to be taken at certain times for optimum performance for that product.
Suggested Probiotic Products
There are many many probiotics on the market. The following are some of the probiotics discussed most often by the autism community:
Source: http://www.enzymestuff.com/probiotics.htm
Annie has been on Culturelle, ThreeLac, FiveLac, Flora Five, HMF, and VSL #3 at various times. We find it is good to switch probiotics every now and then. VSL #3 caused major "die off" for Annie which then made her hyper and stimmy (however, it might have worked if I had stuck it out... I am not sure). The others all seem to work fine for her.
We can't recommend one specific probiotic because they treat different issues depending on their ingredients. We feel it is best to read about the various probiotic strains and use your parental instincts to match your child's main issues to a probiotic strain(s). For more information about probiotics, go to the Health, then Probiotics tabs.
Helpful hints:
We recommended various brands for enzymes and probiotics because we feel that several brands work equally well. However, for the remaining 5 products we believe we have discovered products (particular brands) that are unique and cannot be bought in your local health food store. The following explains why these products are unique, why your child most likely needs them, and where to get them.
SULFUR
People with autism tend to have low levels of sulfur in their bodies. Sulfur is an essential mineral, and is needed for many functions in the body. Boys excrete more sulfur than girls, so they may be more susceptible to sulfation problems. This may have something to do with why more boys than girls tend to have autism.
Sulfur is one of the most important minerals in our body. It is critical to help us detoxify and regenerate new tissue. Sulfur enables the transport of oxygen across cell membranes, and oxygen is necessary for healthy cellular regeneration. Sulfur is also a precursor for the utilization of amino acids, the body’s building blocks. Of all of the amino acids, some 70 percent are sulfur-based.
Low sulfur levels could cause many problems:
Historically, the foods we ate had ample sulfur. However, since the industrialization of our food supply, our soils have been depleted of sulfur and even pastured, organically grown foods will often not provide our bodies with adequate levels of this mineral.
There is a lot of discussion about how children with autism often have allergic reactions or sensitivities to sulfur. Allergy to sulfur is not possible as it is an integral element of our body. However, often when a child seems sensitive to sulfur (becomes irritated and itchy on sulfur containing products like MSM or Epsom Salt Baths) he/she is actually reacting to the synthetic ingredients mixed with the sulfur.
Annie had this problem... epsom salt baths made her so itchy she wouldn't stay in the tub. When I tried another sulfur containing product, she broke out in hives that were so bad she still has scars from scratching them and making them bleed. Although I knew Annie didn't have enough sulfur, I figured she was simply unable to take anything to raise her levels. That is, until Leah and I discovered a sulfur product that's organic and doesn't contain synthetics. In fact, this sulfur that we give Annie and Brody is classified as a food, not a supplement or drug.
Sources:
http://puterakembara.org/rm/DAN2001.htm
http://www.naturodoc.com/sulfurstudy.htm
VITAMIN D
YEAST MANAGEMENT
Every breathing life form on earth should have a small colony of fungus/yeast in their gut. But, Candida Overgrowth can be a real danger to health. Many experts claim that bloating, hypoglycemia, cold hands & feet, anemia, brain fog, ear ringing, sinusitis, diarrhea/constipation, etc., result from an overgrowth of yeast/fungus. Yeast Management treats these symptoms without fear of damaging the liver and kidneys like some other candida treatments.
What is Yeast Management made from? It is made from an unusual food-grade Plankton. The plankton contain microscopic silica (the silica kill the yeast). The Plankton is combined with a little sugar (from sugar cane) and some kosher distilled vinegar.
I know you are probably horrified like we were when we heard the ingredients. You've probably been taught that sugar and vinegar feed yeast! You're right, they do and that's the point. Yeast Management includes a small amount of sugar and vinegar in order to bait the yeast. Yeast is attracted to the sugar and vinegar and then once they eat it, the silica makes the yeast explode from the inside out thereby, destroying it. We know it sounds counter-intuitive but it's the one product we've tried that seems to keep Annie and Brody's yeast under control in a safe way. For us, a little bit of sugar/vinegar once a day is worth it to keep yeast under control. But for children who are highly sensitive to sugar/vinegar, this product may not be the best option.
Yeast Management is able to absorb up to 1000 times its own weight in toxins and is excellent at helping clean up the blood and cells from the mycotoxins produced by candida throughout our bodies. In addition to aborning toxins released by candida, it also absorbs parasites, viruses and bad bacteria, containing them safely and then allowing the body to eliminate them by passing it through the bowels.
The best time to use Yeast Management is away from other products since it does have a tendency to absorb things. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water when using Yeast Management because it absorbs moisture. Yeast Management looks like a white powder and it has a gritty, sand-like texture when you taste it. We combine the powder with a little water, stir it up, and give it to our kids in a syringe. A child could just drink it down as well. Yeast Management can also be used to bathe in or used topically as a paste (effective to calm itchy skin).
As with any treatment for candida overgrowth, your child may experience "die off" (flu like symptoms) if too much yeast is killed too fast. If this occurs, lower the dose for a few days.
LIQUID MAGNESIUM
Magnesium Helps to Support:
As we all know, our kids have trouble absorbing supplements. What makes this magnesium unique is that it's a liquid and it contains super small particles making it easier to absorb and be utilized by the body. The size of the particles in this magnesium liquid are .62nm instead of the 10,000nm in a typical liquid.
OMEGA 3
There are so many supplements discussed for children with autism it can be overwhelming. Some supplements have been extremely helpful for our kids while others have had negative side effects. If you are curious about a certain supplement, please go to the Health, then Supplements tabs where we have given an overview of many of the supplements we've heard connected to autism.
Each child with Health Induced Autism is so different that it's impossible to say exactly which supplements will benefit your particular child. But there are a few supplements we've come across that we feel comfortable recommending because they help to build a healthy foundation.
ENZYMES
We think most children with autism (and even most neurotypical children) could benefit from taking enzymes. A good, broad spectrum enzyme taken with each meal can be helpful for ensuring proper digestion and bowel health.
A lot of DAN! doctors stress the importance of buying an enzyme that contains DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase IV). We think it's important as well. DPP-IV is the only known enzyme to break down casomorphine. It is theorized that people with autism have DPP-IV deficiency therefore, they do not break down certain proteins (like gluten and casein) correctly. Instead, the proteins build up and cause an opioid excess (i.e., cause your child to feel "high" like they would feel if they were on morphine). Taking an enzyme with DPP-IV helps break down proteins and prevent opioid excess. However, we don't recommend taking an enzyme with DPP-IV as a substitute for a Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet and even if your child is Gluten/Casein free, he/she can still benefit from DPP-IV.
Enzymes that contain DPP-IV are (source: http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsgfcf.htm#11):
- Digest Gold (Enzymedica)
- Digest Spectrum (Enzymedica) - Brody takes this one
- GlutenEase (Enzymedica)
- Lacto (Enzymedica)
- Peptizyde (Houston Nutraceuticals)
- EnZym-Complete/DPPIV (Kirkman Lab)
- EnZym-Complete II Isogest Formula (Kirkman Lab)
- Maximum Spectrum EnZym Complete/DPPIV Fruit Free Isogest® Formula (Kirkman Lab) - Annie takes this one
- Peptidase Complete (Kirkman Lab)
- DPP-IV Forte (Kirkman Lab)
- Serenaid (Klaire Labs)
- Vital-zymes Complete (Klaire Labs)
PROBIOTICS
Another supplement we feel safe in saying that all children could likely benefit from are probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria."
The use of good probiotics is important in healing many chronic gastrointestinal problems that are so often associated in those with ASD. Some experts feel that ASD children need several times the amount of probiotics than those without GI problems, due to the frequency of dysbiosis (overgrowth of yeast, bacteria, etc.) and "Leaky Gut" (intestinal permeability) problems.
Benefits of Probiotics:
- Boost the immune system
- Inhibit disease causing organisms
- Improve digestion/increase nutrient absorption
- Help with vitamin synthesis
- Aid detoxification
- Protect the body from toxins
- Prevent diarrhea/reduce risk of irritable bowel syndrome
- Have cancer-protective effects
- Improve resistance to allergies
- Reduce yeast and other infections
Probiotic strength is measured in CFUs (colony forming units) per capsule. For therapeutic benefits, references varied widely from 250 million – 20 billion viable organisms/day. It is best to check with your doctor, or you can start slowly and build-up to a level you feel is most beneficial.
Talk to others and about quality issues, and what works best. Choose a probiotic that has been extensively researched with a great deal of scientific support behind it. Don't buy any product unless it has the manufacture date right on the bottle. Probiotic products, especially lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, lose a lot of potency after 4-10 months. Products last longer when they are refrigerated, although some products do not require refrigeration.
When to take probiotics varies by brand. Always check the label and follow the recommendation of the manufacturer. Some say to take on an empty stomach; some say to take with food so that the food can buffer the organisms; some say to take in the morning because of stomach acid content; some can be taken anytime.
The acid and salts in the gut will harm certain probiotics. Manufacturers take this into account when designing a formulation and preparing the capsules. Some capsules are specially coated so the microorganisms will safely reach their destination. Others need to be taken at certain times for optimum performance for that product.
Suggested Probiotic Products
There are many many probiotics on the market. The following are some of the probiotics discussed most often by the autism community:
- Culturelle (excellent for clostridia bacteria or colon problems) www.culturelle.com
- Florajen - Two varieties available: Florajen (100% Lactobacillus acidophilus) and Florajen 3 (L. acidophilus, B. longum, B. bifidus) http://www.florajen.com/
- Natren probiotics www.natren.com
- Therabiotics by Klaire Labs (requires a clinician approval) www.klaire.com
- Theralac www.theralac.com
- ThreeLac/FiveLac/FloraFive - http://www.ghthealth.com/products/threelac.aspx Concerns over ThreeLac at: http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/mn33.php
- Custom Probiotics www.customprobiotics.com
- Perfect Colon (was called Perfect Stool) www.ojibwatea.com
- HMF www.rockwellnutrition.com
- Houston Chewable Probiotic www.houstonni.com
- VSL #3 - It is more expensive but the activity is much higher. (so far the shipping has been free). Works very well with over 450 billion cells (that's right, 450) of 8 different strains. http://www.vslpharma.com/vsl3/index.asp or http://www.vslpharma.com/vsl3/composition.asp
- Pro-bio by Enzymedica - Features Bacillus Subtillis which makes several digestive enzymes and a newer strain called F19. F19 is a member of the Lactobacillus acidophilus paracasei species. Has helped in some cases of serious food and supplement sensitivities where other probiotics were not tolerated. http://www.enzymedica.com/probio.php
Source: http://www.enzymestuff.com/probiotics.htm
Annie has been on Culturelle, ThreeLac, FiveLac, Flora Five, HMF, and VSL #3 at various times. We find it is good to switch probiotics every now and then. VSL #3 caused major "die off" for Annie which then made her hyper and stimmy (however, it might have worked if I had stuck it out... I am not sure). The others all seem to work fine for her.
We can't recommend one specific probiotic because they treat different issues depending on their ingredients. We feel it is best to read about the various probiotic strains and use your parental instincts to match your child's main issues to a probiotic strain(s). For more information about probiotics, go to the Health, then Probiotics tabs.
Helpful hints:
- I think Annie has PANDAS. Therefore, for her it is critical that I pick a probiotic without Streptococcus Thermophilus or it will cause her strep bacteria issues to flare which results in the symptoms of OCD.
- Be sure to give probiotics an hour away from when you give enzymes because sometimes enzymes can destroy probiotics if given at the same time.
- A fool proof way to know what probiotic strains would benefit your child would be to do a stool test. For more information on this, please go to the Health, then Tests, then Stool tabs.
We recommended various brands for enzymes and probiotics because we feel that several brands work equally well. However, for the remaining 5 products we believe we have discovered products (particular brands) that are unique and cannot be bought in your local health food store. The following explains why these products are unique, why your child most likely needs them, and where to get them.
SULFUR
People with autism tend to have low levels of sulfur in their bodies. Sulfur is an essential mineral, and is needed for many functions in the body. Boys excrete more sulfur than girls, so they may be more susceptible to sulfation problems. This may have something to do with why more boys than girls tend to have autism.
Sulfur is one of the most important minerals in our body. It is critical to help us detoxify and regenerate new tissue. Sulfur enables the transport of oxygen across cell membranes, and oxygen is necessary for healthy cellular regeneration. Sulfur is also a precursor for the utilization of amino acids, the body’s building blocks. Of all of the amino acids, some 70 percent are sulfur-based.
Low sulfur levels could cause many problems:
- Sulphate is important for detoxification of metals and other toxins.
- Sulfur is key in Methylation (see Treatments, then Biomedical, the Methylation tabs)
- If the intestine lacks sulfur, the result is a leaky gut.
- The body makes excess oxalates if sulfur is low.
- Sulphate is needed to release pancreatic digestive enzymes.
- Many enzymes are impaired if sulfur levels are low.
- Sulfur is needed for the body to make the hormone CCK, which stimulates oxytocinergic neurons to release oxytocin. So, a lack of sulfur could explain the low oxytocin levels found in autism, which is important for socialization.
- The perineuronal nets around neurons, which modulate their function, are primarily composed of chondroitin sulfur. Low sulfur would thus yield less modulation of neurons.
Historically, the foods we ate had ample sulfur. However, since the industrialization of our food supply, our soils have been depleted of sulfur and even pastured, organically grown foods will often not provide our bodies with adequate levels of this mineral.
There is a lot of discussion about how children with autism often have allergic reactions or sensitivities to sulfur. Allergy to sulfur is not possible as it is an integral element of our body. However, often when a child seems sensitive to sulfur (becomes irritated and itchy on sulfur containing products like MSM or Epsom Salt Baths) he/she is actually reacting to the synthetic ingredients mixed with the sulfur.
Annie had this problem... epsom salt baths made her so itchy she wouldn't stay in the tub. When I tried another sulfur containing product, she broke out in hives that were so bad she still has scars from scratching them and making them bleed. Although I knew Annie didn't have enough sulfur, I figured she was simply unable to take anything to raise her levels. That is, until Leah and I discovered a sulfur product that's organic and doesn't contain synthetics. In fact, this sulfur that we give Annie and Brody is classified as a food, not a supplement or drug.
Sources:
http://puterakembara.org/rm/DAN2001.htm
http://www.naturodoc.com/sulfurstudy.htm
VITAMIN D
YEAST MANAGEMENT
Every breathing life form on earth should have a small colony of fungus/yeast in their gut. But, Candida Overgrowth can be a real danger to health. Many experts claim that bloating, hypoglycemia, cold hands & feet, anemia, brain fog, ear ringing, sinusitis, diarrhea/constipation, etc., result from an overgrowth of yeast/fungus. Yeast Management treats these symptoms without fear of damaging the liver and kidneys like some other candida treatments.
What is Yeast Management made from? It is made from an unusual food-grade Plankton. The plankton contain microscopic silica (the silica kill the yeast). The Plankton is combined with a little sugar (from sugar cane) and some kosher distilled vinegar.
I know you are probably horrified like we were when we heard the ingredients. You've probably been taught that sugar and vinegar feed yeast! You're right, they do and that's the point. Yeast Management includes a small amount of sugar and vinegar in order to bait the yeast. Yeast is attracted to the sugar and vinegar and then once they eat it, the silica makes the yeast explode from the inside out thereby, destroying it. We know it sounds counter-intuitive but it's the one product we've tried that seems to keep Annie and Brody's yeast under control in a safe way. For us, a little bit of sugar/vinegar once a day is worth it to keep yeast under control. But for children who are highly sensitive to sugar/vinegar, this product may not be the best option.
Yeast Management is able to absorb up to 1000 times its own weight in toxins and is excellent at helping clean up the blood and cells from the mycotoxins produced by candida throughout our bodies. In addition to aborning toxins released by candida, it also absorbs parasites, viruses and bad bacteria, containing them safely and then allowing the body to eliminate them by passing it through the bowels.
The best time to use Yeast Management is away from other products since it does have a tendency to absorb things. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water when using Yeast Management because it absorbs moisture. Yeast Management looks like a white powder and it has a gritty, sand-like texture when you taste it. We combine the powder with a little water, stir it up, and give it to our kids in a syringe. A child could just drink it down as well. Yeast Management can also be used to bathe in or used topically as a paste (effective to calm itchy skin).
As with any treatment for candida overgrowth, your child may experience "die off" (flu like symptoms) if too much yeast is killed too fast. If this occurs, lower the dose for a few days.
LIQUID MAGNESIUM
Magnesium Helps to Support:
- Airway health
- Healthy and normal involuntary body movements
- Healthy and proper growth
- Muscle, bone, and joint health
- Healthy and happy disposition
- Healthy eating habits
- Normal calcium balance in organs and blood vessels
- Healthy cardiovascular electrical impulses (nerve transmission)
- Monthly feminine health
- Proper blood sugar balance
- Aids in relaxing nerves, relieving tension and lowering blood pressure (may help sleep since it is a natural tranquilizer)
- Mental clarity
- Bowel regulation (especially good for constipation)
As we all know, our kids have trouble absorbing supplements. What makes this magnesium unique is that it's a liquid and it contains super small particles making it easier to absorb and be utilized by the body. The size of the particles in this magnesium liquid are .62nm instead of the 10,000nm in a typical liquid.
OMEGA 3
