Vitamin A therapy may be helpful for some people with autism.
The author describes her idea that vitamin A may be helpful for people who are missing a certain gene and have a syndrome known as G-alpha protein defect. This article describes two cases of children (a 10 year old and an infant) whose autism symptoms were improved when they were treated with vitamin A (from cod liver oil). The author believes that both children had G-alpha protein defects. G-alpha protein defect can also cause night blindness, and thyroid and pituitary gland problems.
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Best natural form of omega3
Dec 28, 2009 by AnonymousI want to share this information, because my son is taken this product and hi is making a lot of progress...
Sacha Inchi oil naturally contains 45% Omega-3 an award-winning flavor! Oh Mega! Sacha Inchi oil is obtained from cold-pressed Sacha Inchi seeds that grow in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest and it was used to feed one of the most powerful civilizations in history, the Inca Empire.
Today, Oh Mega! Sacha Inchi oil is very popular due to its amazing omega content, especially omega-3 , which our bodies do not produce on their own.
Sacha Inchi contains the highest omega-3 concentration of any food on the planet.
Award-winning for its taste alone, sacha inchi oil is making a major breakthrough in the US for health and nutrition – especially as a completely natural, organic replacement for fish oil and other omega-3 supplements.
High unsaturated fatty acids content *Low level of saturated fatty acids *Vitamins A and E *Balanced Omega composition
Sacha inchi seed is grown wildly in the Peruvian Amazon, it was known by native Peruvians thousands of years ago. The Incas represented sacha inchi seed in their ceramics. This seed is also known as the inca peanut.
Scientific researches have found that Sacha inchi is one of the best oilseeds by its composition and high nutritional profile:
sacha inchi oil has more omega 3 then cod liver oil.
The seeds of Inchi have high protein (27%) and oil (35 - 60%) content. Its oil is one of the largest plant sources of the Omega family of fatty acids, an essential for human life. It contains Omega 3 (48%), Omega 6 (36%), Omega 9 (9%), and protein (27%). They are also rich in iodine and vitamin A and vitamin E.
Modern Uses
Sacha Inchi oil production is increasing in the Peruvian Amazon and is gaining international recognition for its taste and health properties. In June 2007, Sacha Inchi oil won the Médalle D'or (Gold Medal) at the AVPA[1] Specialty Foods Commodities competition. Sacha Inchi has been called a super food because of its high content of essential fatty acids. The oil has a mild flavour, not bitter, with a nutty finish. With new research emphasizing the health benefits of Omega fatty acids, interest in sustainable sources of Omega is increasing. Sacha Inchi oil is used in vegetarian diets to provide a plant source for Omega-3 fatty acids.
Humanitarian group Oxfam and a group called SEPAR are collaborating to develop techniques for growing Sacha Inchi. Used as a cash crop, Sacha Inchi is bringing money to rural areas and allowing indigenous groups like the Ashaninka to stay in villages.[
Nutrition and Essential Fatty Acids May Help Verbal Apraxia and Autism
Dec 2, 2009 by AnonymousCan nutrition help verbal skills in children with autism? A study reported the August 2009 issue of Alternative Therapies says yes, for some children. Combined vitamin E and omega 3 therapy may help a type of verbal apraxia (a type of speech problem) that may be linked to food allergies and nutritional problems.
Children with verbal apraxia have trouble pronouncing words and may have severe speech problems. Many scientists have thought that verbal apraxia is a brain disorder. This study suggests that verbal apraxia may also be related to metabolism differences and nutritional problems.
Metabolism is the process of making energy from food. Metabolism is a complex system of enzymes, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that work together to digest food and turn it into energy that the body can use. People likely have a wide range of metabolic differences. Some of those differences can be quite large for some individuals. In this study, they suggest that some children with autism may have metabolism differences that affect how they process foods, and how their brain works.
What did the study show? This study tested 187 children with verbal apraxia, and many of them also had autism. All of the children took 400-3,000 International Units of vitamin E daily. They also took 1-3 grams of polyunsaturated fats (including omega 3 fatty acids) per day.
Almost all of the families (97%) reported improvements in speech, imitation, coordination, eye contact, and other skills with vitamin E and omega-3 therapy. There were few side effects reported during the length of the study.
The authors also described blood test results for nutritional information about 26 of the children. They reported low carnitine levels, high anti-gluten antibodies (suggesting a gluten allergy), low vitamin D levels, and fat absorption problems in most of the children they tested. They described how nutrition and metabolism might be different in some children with autism.
What do these results mean for children with verbal apraxia and autism? The results are exciting because 97% of the children showed improvements, and there were few side effects. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? But it’s not quite as perfect as it sounds.
There are some major limitations of this study. First of all, the researchers asked parents to give their subjective opinion of improvements. The parents knew they were in a study. Although they were given specific improvements to look for, there is a possibility of bias in favor of reporting a good result.
Secondly, they did not use placebo controls. All of the parents and children knew they were getting the supplements. There is the possibility of the “placebo effect” which is when people taking placebo (“sugar pills”) report feeling better or actually show improvements. Many think it is the power of the mind/body connection that somehow influences how they feel or even how their body physically responds. There is scientific evidence for brain connections to the immune and endocrine systems to support these observations. It is possible that, in this study, the children and/or parents were hopeful that the supplements would work, and that influenced the outcome. There was a placebo effect observed in a recent study of citalopram and autism in children.
Third, the supplements may be helpful for only a subset of children with verbal apraxia. The researchers chose children with verbal apraxia who also had metabolism differences….
What is the bottom line for omega-3 and vitamin E from this study? In spite of the shortcomings of this study, the results are very promising. Children with verbal apraxia may benefit from vitamin E and omega-3 supplements, which may get their metabolism on a better track. And researchers will continue to explore the nutrition/metabolism link with brain function. Good nutrition is likely to be important for many brain functions, not just verbal apraxia.
Multivitamins that promotes the development of sensory and communication skils
Apr 26, 2009 by AnonymousHello, Just wanted to give some information on a liquid vitamin that I just came across, since I understand how difficult can be for us parents to give either medications or vitamins to our kids, and it tends to be even more difficult for parents with kids with autism, who tend to be very “picky” eaters, wanting to eat the same food all the time. The product’s name is Might-a-Mins Spectrum Isotonix Multivitamin. The main thing that caught my attention is that besides giving the nutritional supplements, it proclaims to help promote a healthy development of sensory and communication skills.This product appears to be “designed to serve children in need of digestive, metabolic or neurological support, like our kids with autism or in the spectrum, whom often have very particular tastes in food and are unlikely to eat a wide variety of items, creating a lack of nutrients.” It indicates that it “provides children in need of neurological, metabolic or digestive support with a carefully selected blend of vitamins and minerals chosen for their exceptional bioavailability.” Another benefit of this multivitamin is that is a powder that when mixed with water forms an isotonic solution. “Isotonic solutions bear the same chemical resemblance to blood and tears allowing for superior delivery and complete absorption in less amount of time”. Apparently, you can not buy this product on the local stores, I found it on www.thewaytolifeshop.com. I’m planning to order some and try it out. The product seems promising. Also, if you decide to go to their website, my recommendation is to hit the “Isotonix” icon in the featured brands box. Oh, they also have a lot of research articles done on autistic kids in regards to the use of vitamins. Again just wanted to share some of the information with those of you that like me, are trying to see how we can keep our kids healthy, when it is so difficult to make them eat a variety of foods, especially those that are nutritional.
Multivitamin that seems to promote the development of sensory and communication skills
Apr 26, 2009 by AnonymousHello,
Just wanted to give some information on a liquid vitamin that I just came across, since I understand how difficult can be for us parents to give either medications or vitamins to our kids, and it tends to be even more difficult for parents with kids with autism, who tend to be very “picky” eaters, wanting to eat the same food all the time. The product’s name is Might-a-Mins Spectrum Isotonix Multivitamin. The main thing that caught my attention is that besides giving the nutritional supplements, it proclaims to help promote a healthy development of sensory and communication skills. This product appears to be “designed to serve children in need of digestive, metabolic or neurological support, like our kids with autism or in the spectrum, whom often have very particular tastes in food and are unlikely to eat a wide variety of items, creating a lack of nutrients.” It indicates that it “provides children in need of neurological, metabolic or digestive support with a carefully selected blend of vitamins and minerals chosen for their exceptional bioavailability.” Another benefit of this multivitamin is that is a powder that when mixed with water forms an isotonic solution. “Isotonic solutions bear the same chemical resemblance to blood and tears allowing for superior delivery and complete absorption in less amount of time”. Apparently, you can not buy this product on the local stores, I found it on www.thewaytolifeshop.com. I’m planning to order some and try it out. The product seems promising. Also, if you decide to go to their website, my recommendation to find it fast is to hit the “Isotonix” icon in the featured brands box. Oh, they also have a lot of research articles done on autistic kids in regards to the use of vitamins. Again just wanted to share some of the information with those of you that like me, are trying to see how we can keep our kids healthy, when it is so difficult to make them eat a variety of foods, especially those that are nutritional.