Let’s talk mitochondria

Since the Hannah Poling case, the subject of autism and mitochondrial dysfunction has been the focus of much attention and research.  This includes the CDC and NIH who are currently investigating the role of vaccinations in mitochondrial dysfunction and autism.

Mitochondria are the body’s “powerhouse” organelles.  They are located inside cells are produce energy throughout the body.  Mitochondria use 80% of the available oxygen. 

Mitochondria are normally inherited exclusively from the mother.  These important structures can be damages by REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS), better known as free radicals.  Children with autism have very high levels of free radicals and deficient levels of antioxidants.  Antioxidants help protect the body, and mitochondria, against damage from free radicals.
Other chemicals can damage mitochondria.  You don’t have to look very hard into toxicology research to find toxic substances that will damage mitochondria.  Thimerosol and other metals damage mitochondria putting children at risk for autistic regression.

Drugs can also damage the energy production capacity of the body by negatively impacting mitochondria.

Here is a list of drug classes that have been identified as causing damage:

Pain medication
Anti-inflammatory medication (indlucing tylenol)
Anesthetics
Angina medications
Antiarrhythimic
Antibiotics
Antidepressants
Antipsychotics
Anti-anxiety medications
Cholesterol medications
Cancer medications
Diabetes medications
Epilepsy and seizure medications

Vaccines and drugs can damage mitochondria and 20% of children with autism are estimated to have mitochondrial dysfunction.  Mitochondrial research is beginning to identify a significant subset of children with regressive autism who were at risk.

The important strategy now is to identify if your child is at risk before submitting to a regular vaccine schedule.  The CDC recommends speaking with your MD about vaccination concerns.
Here are a few great resources:

What your MD may not tell you about childhood vaccinations ~ Dr. Stephanie Cave, MD

The Vaccine Book ~ Dr. Sears

Naturopathic Treatment of Autism

Naturopathic intervention for autism includes a functional approach to treatment.  Each child is assessed and treated individually which increases success rates.  The reason naturopathic treatmetn of autism helps so many children is because it addresses underlying weaknesses in the system.  Research has identified a number of biochemical and physiological abnormalities in children with autism.  Through evaluation, theses impairments can be identified and treated with safe, effective, natural remedies.

Some of the underlying weaknesses that leading autism researchers have identified include immune irregulatires, mitochondrial dysfunction, dysbiosis or imbalance in bowel flora, detoxification impairments and methylation defects. 

The most successful biomedical treatment for autism and other developmental disorders is correction of methylation defects.  When babies are conceived, they are de-methylated, as development progresses, it does so through the process of methylation.  The use of methyl-B12 to correct the methylation cycle that fuels development can have a dramatic impact on social, cognitive and language development.

B12 works by increasing “fuel” to the brain and by regulating key neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that are responsible for learning, memory, mood, behaviour, sensory perception, processing information, relaying information, emotional responses and fundamental brain function.

Researchers have identified a number of abnormalities with serotonin, dopamine and GABA.  These neurotransmitters can be regulated through support of the methylation cycle.

B12 and methylation treatment is one example of how naturopathic treatment of autism has the ability to greatly enhance development.

 

For more information about biomedical treatment, visit www.treatautism.ca

2010 Autism, AD/HD & LD Conference

 

 

Biomedical Conference

Treatment of ASD, AD/HD and Learning Disabilities

Saturday May 29th
12:30 – 4:30 pm

 

Milton Sports Centre
605 Santa Maria Blvd.
Milton, ON
L9T 6J5

To Register:

1.  Call: 905 631 0880

2.  In person: The Vitamin Store inMilton, ON: 

http://www.thevitaminstorecanada.com/ret_store_locator.asp?storeID=A366140C39724EB193EE7AC9A906BA35

 
Cost - $30 (includes take home package with supplement samples and conference syllabus and)
 

Hosted by:  The Vitamin Store

www.thevitaminstorecanada.com

 

 
Conference Description

The biomedical treatment conference will feature three expert speakers on biomedical treatment and development. Topics covered will include special diets, nutritional intervention, and safe heavy metal detoxification, treatment of immune and digestive dysfunction and enhancement of social, cognitive and language development.  Also featured are specialized treatment programs to prevent development delay before, during and after pregnancy as well as addressing birth trauma and the role it plays in development. This conference will have a resource fair featuring different organizations supporting treatment of autism including:

 

Blue Balloon
www.blue-balloon.com
 

The Autism Bakery
www.theautismbakery.com
 

Ontario HBOT
www.ontarioHBOT.ca
 

Toys, Tools and Treasures
www.toystoolsandtreasures.com
 

Rainbow Connections – RDI
www.rainbowconnections.ca

Dr. Estrabillo Dental Group
www.drestrabillo.com

Ecotrend
www.ecotrend.ca

 

  

Featured speakers
 

Dr. Sonya Doherty, N.D. and Defeat Autism Now! Practitioner

Dr. Doherty will speak about her extensive experience treating children with developmental delay. She will explore some of the research into ASD, AD/HD, LDs and other developmental disorders impacting Canadian children. Dr. Doherty will speak about the role that special diets, digestion and immune irregularities, detoxification of heavy metals and nutritional intervention play in the enhancement of social, cognitive and language development.

Dr. Carissa Doherty is one of few Naturopathic Doctors who have specialized undergraduate training in toxicology and biochemistry. She will speak about her uniquely designed protocol for prevention of developmental delay. Prevention of developmental disorders begins before pregnancy. It is estimated that 1 in 5 North American children has a diagnosis of developmental delay. With Dr. Doherty’s expertise on detoxification and protecting against environment toxicity, this talk is a must for all parents planning pregnancy.

 

Dr. Rebecca Patterson, D.C. and Medical Acupuncture Provider

Dr. Patterson is a graduate of the Canadian memorial Chiropractic College. She continues to further her training in the area of Pediatric Chiropractic Care. Her lecture will focus on new research linking birth trauma to developmental delay and factors that contribute to traumatic birth as well as treatment options.

 

 

 Who should attend?
 

• Parents and Caregivers

• Educators and Resource Consultants

• Healthcare Providers

 

2010 Seminar Schedule

 

  

January 22 – Friday – 6:30 – 8 pm

Detoxification:  7 essential pathways to health

Location:
Goodness Me! 
Upper Gage, Hamilton, ON
905 388 8400
www.goodnessme.ca

 

 

January 30 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Anti-viral and anti-microbial treatment for autism spectrum disorders

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

February 17 – Wednesday: 7:00 - 8:00 pm 

Biomedical treatment of Autism Spectrum Seminars

Location:

The Vitamin Store – Burloak location
728 Burloak Drive
Burloak Commons
Burlington, ON
L7L 0B1
905 331 6064

www.thevitaminstorecanada.com

 

February 19 – Friday: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Children’s Health

Location:
Goodness Me!
1000 Upper Gage, Hamilton, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

  

February 27 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Biomedical treatment for learning disabilities

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca 

 

March 25 – Thursday: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Alternative treatment for AD/HD

Location:
Goodness Me!
1000 Upper Gage, Hamilton, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

March 27 – Saturady: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Apraxia and dyspraxia – a functional approach to treatment

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

March 31 – Wednesday: 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Natural Supports for AD/HD

Location:

The Vitamin Store – Burloak location
728 Burloak Drive
Burloak Commons
Burlington, ON
L7L 0B1
905 331 6064

www.thevitaminstorecanada.com

 

April 1 – Thursday: 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Autism Series – 1 of 3

B12 and Methylation can increase social, cognitive and language development

Location:

Wholefoods – Oakville

301 Cornwall Road
Oakville, ON L6J 7Z5
(905) 849-8400

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

April 8 – Thursday: 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Autism Series – 2 of 3 (can be attended individuallY)

Digestion, Inflammation and Food Allergies

Location:

Wholefoods – Oakville

301 Cornwall Road
Oakville, ON L6J 7Z5
(905) 849-8400

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

 

April 15 – Thursday: 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Autism Series – 3 of 3

Environmental Toxicity, Antioxidants and Heavy Metals

Location:

Wholefoods – Oakville

301 Cornwall Road
Oakville, ON L6J 7Z5
(905) 849-8400

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

 

April 24 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

AUTISM SERIES - 1 of 4 (seminars can be attended individually)

Autism Treatment: B12 and Methylation – how treatment can enhance language, social and cognitive development

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

May 29 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

AUTISM SERIES – 2 of 4 (seminars can be attended individually)

Autism Treatment: Heavy metals and environmental toxicity – how to help your child safely and effectively detoxify harmful metals and toxins

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

June 26 – Saturday

AUTISM SERIES - 3 of 4 (seminars can be attended individually)

Autism Treatment: Diet and Nutrition – why it helps and how to get started as well as advanced diet options for complex cases

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

July 31 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

AUTISM SERIES - 4 of 4 (seminars can be attended individually)

Autism Treatment: Getting to the root – why digestion has the ability to impair develpment and how to support healthy intestinal function

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

August 21 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Getting ready for school!  How to use natural treatments to support learning and attention

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

September 25 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Biomedical treatment of AD/HD

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

October 23 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Autism and Mitochondrial Function: Exciting new research and treatments

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

  

November 27 – Saturday: 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Autism and Yeast – how microbes in the gut impact development and control behaviour

Location:
Goodness Me!
3455 Fairview St., Burlington, ON
905 637 8404
www.goodnessme.ca

 

 

If you are interested in having Dr. Doherty speak on biomedical treatment of developmental disorders, please contact info@treatautism.ca.

  
If you would like more information on any of these topics, visit the rest of this site www.treatautism.ca or contact Dr. Doherty at info@treatautism.ca

 

Biomedical treatment has the potential to change a child’s life.  It is the right of every parent to know their options.

Autism and Environmental Toxicity

 

What we know is true

 

The interplay between autism spectrum disorder, genetics and environmental toxicity has been the subject of research for many years.  Recently some incredible and disturbing research findings are proving what many have long suspected.  One of the key reasons for the dramatic rise in autism rates in the last 15-20 years can be attributed to environmental toxicity.

 

Children with ASD are genetically more susceptible to oxidative damage and environmental toxins than children with typical development. In the 1950’s, Denham Harman, launched the free radical theory of aging.  We now know definitely that compounds called free radicals cause oxidative damage and cell death.   People with low oxidative stress and high antioxidant status live longer and have less disease.

 

In autism, research has shown that oxidative stress levels are very high and that antioxidant levels are very low.  Antioxidants protect all of us from the many harmful chemicals and substances circulating in food, air, water and land.  There are essential for normal development.  Environmental toxins like metals, chemicals, pesticides and other harmful substances, lower antioxidant levels.

Our bodies have 7 detoxification pathways that are supported in most part, by antioxidants.  The relationship between development and detoxification is intricate.  This intricate balance is needed for children to thrive and gain new skills.
The brain starts developing early in embryonic life and continues developing into adolescence. The developing brain is very sensitive to environmental exposures. The relationship between genetics and the environment is well known.  The way genes are expressed depends heavily on the signals given from the environment.  Lung cells exposed to tobacco smoke have a higher rate of developing dysfunction like cancer.  Our genes react to protect the body from toxins. Bisphenol-A effects genes important to regulating and supporting development.
Published research by Dr. S. Jill James, PhD and principal researcher at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute showed that children with autism have depleted stores of glutathione.  Glutathione is one of the body’s most important antioxidants that support detoxification of toxic substances.  James’s research identified that children with ASD had up to 80% of this important compound depleted.  One of the most important things to understand about glutathione and development is that the brain relies 100% on glutathione to support development.  As glutathione levels decrease, so does the “fuel” needed for development. 
When baby’s are conceived, they are de-methylated.  They grow and develop through a process called methylation.  Methylation and detoxification form an important balance that supports development.  As one slow, so does that other.  Impairments in these cycles have been identified in children with autism and start to explain why children with ASD are so susceptible to environmental toxicity.
A ground breaking in 2009, done by researchers at the University of Texas, revealed startling evidence of the environment’s role in autism.  The objective the study was to determine if proximity to sources of mercury pollution in 1998 were related to autism prevalence in 2002. The findings showed that for every 1000 pounds of industrial release, there were a corresponding 2.6% increase in autism rates and a 3.7% increase associated with power plant emissions. For every 10 miles from industrial or power plant sources, there a decrease in autism rates.
An earlier study released by the same group of investigators revealed an association between environmentally released mercury and autism rates in Texas.  For each 1,000 lb of environmentally released mercury, there was a 61% increase in ASD.  The same study showed an increase of 43% in the rate of special education rates.
Toxins affect every aspect of our body.  Renowned medical doctor and researcher Dr. Needleman has shown the detrimental effect of lead on cognitive development.  Lead levels have been linked to ASD, AD/HD and learning disabilities.  A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in U.S. hospitals in 2004.  Tests revealed a total of 287 chemicals in this small group of children. The umbilical cord blood collected by Red Cross after the cord was cut, identified pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.   
It is clear that environmental toxicity is impacting all children and adults.  Children with ASD are our canaries in a coal mine showing us how detrimental toxins found in food, land, air and water can be on developing brains.
So now that overwhelming research exists that development can be severely impaired by chemicals, pesticides, metals and other toxic substances, what do we do?

• All that we can to support green efforts to decrease environmental pollutants
• Prepare carefully for pregnancy by detoxifying 3-6 months before trying to conceive
• Ensure nutrient deficiencies are identified and corrected
• Eat a diet rich in good quality protein, green leafy vegetables and complex carbohydrates
• Choose supplements like omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants that will protect cells
• Consider breastfeeding as it has been shown to decrease rates of ASD and AD/HD.  Breastfeeding is especially beneficial when combined with detoxification before pregnancy

 

Protecting our cells from environmental toxicity must be an ongoing commitment.  Unfortunately parents, especially mothers, pass their toxic load onto their children.  Supporting detoxification pathways, minimizing toxic exposure and healthy diet protects fetuses as they develop. It is also an important strategy to continue into adolescence because the brain continues to develop through children’s lives.
Children with autism benefit developmentally from increasing nutrient and antioxidant status.  Many studies have shown that children, who correct nutrient deficiencies, take essential fatty acids and have increased levels of antioxidants, show gains in language, social and cognitive development.
While the information on environmental toxicity can be foreboding, new research that shows development can be positively impacted even in the face of considerable toxicity.  Children at risk genetically can be identified and protected from environmental insult by supporting biochemical impairments identified in their system.  This new understanding means there is hope for autism!

Vaccine induced brain damage: Monkey Business

Ground-Breaking Monkey Study: Mercury-Containing Hepatitis B Vaccine Causes Brain Damage

SafeMinds calls for moratorium on use of mercury-containing H1N1and seasonal influenza vaccine

 

September 30, 2009 – A study published today in Neurotoxicology, the leading scientific journal in its field, discovered brain damage in newborn monkeys given the Hepatitis B vaccine containing the mercury preservative thimerosal. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) added this vaccine to the recommended immunization schedule for newborn babies in 1991. The vaccine caused a significant delay in the acquisition of key primate survival reflexes essential for life in the wild. Mercury is especially toxic to the developing brain and immune system.

Chronic neurological disorders, especially autism, have increased rapidly during the past two decades in association with increases in vaccines (from 10 to 36) and total mercury exposure. In July 1999, CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and vaccine companies agreed to remove mercury from all childhood vaccines “as soon as possible,” but it still remains in 16 licenses vaccines, five of which are still given to infants. Contrary to its own recommendation, now a decade old, CDC is now recommending the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines for “high priority” groups of pregnant women and babies older than six months who could get four doses. While some doses will be available in single syringes without mercury for those who ask, most doses contain mercury and CDC has refused to state a preference for the mercury-free versions.  

An elite interdisciplinary team of top scientists from across the country collaborated on the study, “Delayed Acquisition of Neonatal Reflexes in Newborn Primates Receiving a Thimerosal-Containing Hepatitis B Vaccine: Influence of Gestational Age and Birth Weight.” The lead author, Dr. Laura Hewitson, oversaw the study, which was funded in part by SafeMinds. The animals were housed at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. This study compared infant macaque monkeys vaccinated with the Hepatitis B vaccine containing the mercury preservative thimerosal with those who received a saline placebo and those who received no shots at all. The vaccine group showed significant delay in the acquisition of key survival reflexes. Neonatal responses in unexposed animals were not delayed. 

This paper focuses on one part of a larger comprehensive research program investigating the safety of the entire human infant vaccine schedule by employing standard animal research protocols. The program is examining differences in developmental behaviors, brain, blood, GI tissues, the immune system, health status, pathology, and gene expression profiles between vaccinated and unvaccinated primates.  Preliminary results of the wider program were presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research in London in May 2008.  The presentation suggested evidence of widespread harm caused by the CDC-recommended vaccine schedule.   

Despite the 1986 Mandate for Safer Childhood Vaccines, the Combating Autism Act efforts, and a recent unanimous recommendation in June from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the Government has refused to fund research comparing vaccinated versus unvaccinated humans or animals. Such a comparison is the only way to assess baseline health and vaccine-caused damage, and is absolutely necessary to fulfill our moral obligation to protect children by preventing vaccine-caused damage. Safety can be enhanced, for example, by removing the heavy metals, changes to the schedule, screening for susceptibility, reliance on anti-virals, separating the combination vaccines.  

In the Hewitson study, the three key survival reflexes (root, snout, and suck) found to be delayed in the vaccinated animals are functions controlled by the brainstem, a crucial area especially susceptible to damage from mercury. “Many studies have reported that autistic children show damage in this brain region,” noted Theresa Wrangham, president of SafeMinds.  

The neurodevelopment delays were statistically significant without regard to birth weight and gestational age. However, further analysis of the impact of these factors demonstrated that more time in the womb and greater birth weight reduced the delay in survival reflex acquisition. “Smaller babies, premature babies and fetuses would thus appear to be especially at risk for mercury injuries,” noted Ms. Wrangham.  

This is the strongest direct evidence yet that mercury-containing vaccines may cause brain injury in human infants. Animal studies using primates are routinely employed to assess the safety profile of medicines. “Had this study been done as a pre-clinical trial, the FDA could have never licensed a mercury-containing Hepatitis B vaccine, nor could CDC have ever recommended one, at least for young children and infants,” explained Ms. Wrangham. “We are especially alarmed because the seasonal influenza and swine flu vaccines contain mercury. We think pregnant women and young children should not be given mercury-containing medicines with such significant side effects.”  

The present study examined the impact of the first vaccine, Hepatitis B, and did not try to isolate the particular component responsible for causing harm. Although mercury is the most likely culprit because of its known toxicity to the brain and the immune system, other components such as aluminum may play a critical role. While there is more than sufficient evidence to eliminate all mercury now, further research will be required to validate the safety of the entire schedule and establish baseline data for necessary changes. 

Controversy has raged for years over whether mercury received through vaccines is sufficient to cause harm to children. Virtually all studies absolving mercury-containing vaccines of safety deficiencies have been conducted by vaccine insiders with a stake in the outcome. The new primate study is important because it begins to fill a crucial gap in basic vaccine safety science, comparing the overall health status of those vaccinated versus those not unvaccinated. CDC claims there is “no convincing evidence of harm” that vaccines cause significant neurological damage or autism, and cites a number of studies claiming to exonerate mercury. “The studies they reference are all deeply flawed, and, as was the case with decades of ‘tobacco epidemiology,’ were deliberately manufactured to hide the truth,” stated Jim Moody, director of SafeMinds. 

In fact the Institute of Medicine, Congress, Health & Human Service’s National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the American Academy of Pediatrics former President Dr. Lou Cooper, and former Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Bernadine Healy all agree that current research is inadequate to demonstrate vaccine safety, as required by law, especially in terms of risk for neurological damage, including autism, in a genetically susceptible subset of the population. Most have made statements in support of a study evaluating health outcomes in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated subjects.

“This study adds substantially to the scientific evidence that mercury-containing vaccines given early in development may lead to increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays and possibly autism,” stated Sallie Bernard, SafeMinds Executive Director. Data from CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink first revealed an association between mercury and brain damage, but these findings were suppressed and the data were manipulated to exonerate thimerosal. This scientific manipulation was first revealed by SafeMinds through documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, leading to a best-selling book, Evidence of Harm, and to a published retraction of any “no cause” interpretation by the study’s lead author Thomas Verstraeten (who by then had left CDC for a vaccine manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline). The most recent study of VSD data by Young et al. made additional findings that vaccine mercury caused not only autism but several other neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite criticism from the Institute of Medicine and Congress, CDC still refuses to grant access to VSD to private researchers and the Justice Department refuses to permit petitioners in Vaccine Court access to these crucial data. 

Supporting the new Hewitson study, two recent epidemiological studies by Gallagher and Goodman at Stony Brook University Medical Center have demonstrated an association between mercury-containing Hepatitis B and a seven-fold increase in early intervention services and twice the risk for autism.

In light of this new research, the Government must immediately fulfill its promise, now ten years old, to eliminate mercury from all vaccines. Pregnant women and infants are especially at risk for mercury injuries and must be warned against getting mercury-containing flu shots. CDC has listed pregnant women and infants older than 6 months as priority groups to receive the first shots, and children under 10 could get up to four mercury-containing shots. Yet supplies of single-dose influenza vaccines that do not contain mercury are readily available. “Giving mercury-containing flu vaccines to such vulnerable groups is medical insanity, especially when there are sufficient supplies of mercury-free shots,” said Mr. Moody. 

Please see the SafeMinds Science Summary for a list of animal and cell studies which have demonstrated the harmful effects of mercury. Review papers by SafeMinds founders have demonstrated that the symptoms of autism are a unique form of mercury poisoning and that vaccine-induced autism is a plausible hypothesis because the prevalence of autism increased rapidly along with a simultaneous sharp rise in vaccine mercury. Environmental mercury and other pollutants are on the rise, contributing to autism susceptibility. Mercury in vaccines is unnecessary and should not add to background pollution body burden in children.

 ###

B12 and Methylation

 

 

What is Methyl-B12 (MB12)? 

B12 (cobalamin) is a vitamin “family” with five unique family members that each do different things.  Out of the B12 family, only methyl-B12 has the ability to activate the methionine/homocysteine biochemical pathway directly which results in more “fuel” to the brain.
 
 
MB12 works with folic acid to make all the cells in the body.  It plays a key role in METHYLATION.  Methylation makes ALL of the cells in our body.  It is the process of adding genetic material to cells.  After conception, the cells in the womb that will later become the fetus are DEMETHYLATED.  The process of development depends on methylation. 
 
 
Increasing evidence is revealing the role of methylation in the interaction of environmental factors with genetic expression. Differences in maternal care during the first 6 days of life in a mammal can cause different methylation patterns in some genes.  Methylation has also been shown to impact inflammation after a child leaves the womb.
 
 
Methylation is responsible for:

• RNA and DNA (genetic material responsible for every function in the body)
• Immune system regulation
• Detoxification of heavy metals and other harmful substances
• Making GLUTATHIONE (the body’s main detoxification enzyme responsible for removing mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, tin, aluminum and antimony)
• Production and function of proteins
• Regulating inflammation

 

What connects MB12, methylation, glutathione and ASD? 

Short answer: 

Dr. S. Jill James (who has recently received a NIH - National Institute of Health - grant for her research) has shown that children with ASD have impaired methylation and decreased levels of glutathione.  Supporting and/or repairing the underlying impairment and deficiency translates into INCREASED LANGUAGE, SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.

Long answer: 

Dr. S. Jill James has also shown that children with ASD have 40% less glutathione in their cells and that 90% of children have defects in their methylation.  This means that children with autism cannot effectively fuel the brain and detoxify heavy metals and other harmful substances from their system.

The brain is the only part of the body that has depends entirely on MB12 to detoxify.  As the the brain is over-burdened with toxic substances, the “wheels” of methylation slow, severely impacting development.

MB12 works closely with folic acid. A precursor folic acid molecule must interact with the enzyme MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolic acid) to become 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF).

5-MTHF gives the methyl group (the “M” part) to B12 so it can become MB12.  Unfortunately, many children have a defect in this enzyme.  In a recent study byDr. S. Jill James, 90% of children with ASD were found to have methylation defects.

 

*In my practice, 92% of children have benefited from MB12 treatment* 

  

 
What are the benefits of MB12 treatment?

Enhancement in executive function:

• Awareness

• Cognition

• Appropriateness

• Eye contact

• Responsiveness

• Normalized behaviours and interaction

 
Promotion of speech and language

• Spontaneous language

• More complex sentences

• Increased vocabulary

 
Improvements in socialization, understanding and expressing emotion

• Initiation and interactive play

• Understanding and feeling emotions

• Affection and tolerance to touch

  
Side effects to MB12 treatment are not uncommon and include: 

• Hyperactivity

• Self Stimulating Behaviour

• Increased mouthing of objects

• Sleep disturbances – which can be managed with other treatments

• Aggression, hitting and biting - caused by frustration due to increased awareness

 

*Side effects can be mild to severe and are considered transient which means they will pass as treatment progresses*

 
 
MB12 is a treatment, not a cure.  However, many children using MB12 combined with other biomedical and non-biomedical therapies make incredible developmental gains and in a small percentage of children, have had their ASD label removed.

Parents must understand that the maximum results from MB12 therapy occur over years, not months, not weeks. Initial results will be obvious within the first 3-5 week period of time; but MB12’s power is in continued use.

 

Why is MB12 most effective when injected into the bum?

According to Dr. Neubrander (www.drneubrander.com), “Only the subcutaneous injectable route of administration into the adipose tissue of the buttocks will produce the remarkable results parents want to see!”

All forms of administration work to some degree, and some better than others. Injection has been shown to be, by far, the most effective route of administration.  It is through injection that the most dramatic strides in development are seen.

MB12 injection into the buttocks area allows MB12 to surround the cells and stay in the system continually.  Oral, transdermal or intranasal forms cause the MB12 levels to fluctuate up and down.

All cobalamins are absorbed in the last portion of the small intestine, the terminal ileum. Dr. Wakefield and Dr. Krigsman and Dr. Buie have shown through their research that an extremely high percentage of children on the autistic spectrum have an inflammatory bowel condition that affects this region of the intestinal tract. This makes injection a better choice than depending on the digestive tract for absorption.

 

Why is it important to fill out the Parent Designed Report Form?

From 136 possible responses, approximately 50% of parents report more than 28 positive or positive-negative responses while the remaining 50% of parents report fewer than 28 responses.

Children scoring greater than 28 responses have an excellent long-term prognosis , while children scoring fewer than 28 responses may have a good prognosis , though the prognosis is guarded and only accurately evaluated after adequate time has elapsed to compare those children’s progress to their peers.

It is the number of responses that is important, not the intensity of response.

Super ASD Multi-Vitamin

 

    

 
Putting the Pieces Together
   

I have developed a unique multi-vitamin for children on the autism spectrum.  The vitamins and minerals in Super ASD Multi-Vitamin are therapeutic and are based on recent research regarding advancement of development.  Super ASD Multi-Vitamin does not contain gluten, casein, soy or corn and is appropriate for use with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet.

What is biomedical treatment?

 

Biomedical treatment of autism spectrum disorder takes a functional approach to treatment.  Functional medicine treats the individual by assessing underlying impairments in each person’s system.  Biomedical treatment includes thorough assessment through medical history, family history, review of systems and laboratory testing.  Benefits of alternative treatment of autism include enhancement in language, social and cognitive development as well as addressing physical complaints such as:                                                                                                                                            

• Chronic diarrhea or constipation
• Sleep disturbances
• Eczema and rashes
• Behaviour (self-stimulating , aggression and self-injurious)
• Frequent illness or immune dysregulation

 
Individualized treatment for autism is not only based on the most recent research, it is based on ground breaking research that is changing the way developmental delay is perceived by the medical community. Mounting evidence is showing that ASD, like other developmental disorders, is biological in nature.  The long held belief that autism is a mental health issue is being challenged based on physical findings such as immune dysregulation, elevated heavy metal and/or toxic load, inflammation, enzyme dysfunction, dysbiosis or microbe imbalance in the gut, nutrient deficiencies and altered neurotransmitter biochemistry (chemicals that regulate brain function).
 
While biomedical treatment is not considered mainstream treatment for ASD, thousands of children have benefited dramatically.  I have seen tremendous success in the over 200 children that I have treated on the autism spectrum.  Biomedical treatment does not help every child but it has the potential to help the majority of children with ASD.

Hope for Autism

Defeating Autism Now

by Dr. Sonya Doherty, ND
 

  

It’s 4:30 a.m. and I am exhausted. The effort it takes to lift myself out of my warm bed is tremendous. However, I am up to nurse my two-month-old daughter. I move quietly to the La-Z-Boy in the corner of the room and wrap us up in a warm blanket.

My baby girl begins to cry, but just as I’m about to become overwhelmed, I take a deep breath and remind myself that she’s only a baby. She doesn’t know how to communicate yet, and I should be grateful that she needs me, just as the children I work with. I am a registered Defeat Autism Now! doctor and specialize in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I work with wonderful children who have amazing parents whose love and patience have been an inspiration to me as a naturopathic physician and a mother. My work has made me a better mother and has taught me that I am lucky to have a daughter who cries and needs the physical contact of her mother to comfort her.

My daughter drifts off to sleep and I slowly transfer her to the bed. Downstairs I turn on my computer and begin to prepare for the day. I currently work part-time so the quiet morning hours are ideal for reviewing laboratory reports and case files.

When I get to work, my first visit is with a little girl who started treatment unable to make eye contact and had no desire for interaction with other people – including her devoted and loving mother.

Now, one year later, she is beginning to use single words. Not only does she hug her mother but she even gives me a tentative squeeze before she leaves. My heart is bursting! There are so many children who could benefit from the biomedical treatments I employ, but many people are not aware of them since they are not considered mainstream. My patient’s development has been greatly enhanced. She is leaving behind some of the fog of autism.

I have a brief break and sneak back to check on my daughter who is in the staff area with her nanny. She is sleeping soundly and as I gently rub her soft cheek I am grateful she is not plagued by the digestive problems or chronic infections that often accompany autism. I hope as I give her a light kiss on the cheek that she won’t be one of the one of the 165 children Health Canada says will be diagnosed with autism this year.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of the most common developmental disorders affecting children today. The amount of children diagnosed with ASD 10 years ago was four in 10,000. Now, a child is diagnosed with autism every 20 minutes. This is a health crisis that extends far beyond the individuals and families dealing with ASD.

When a child is diagnosed with ASD, they generally have problems with language and social and cognitive development. These children often cannot make eye contact or show affection. Children on the autism spectrum can become obsessed with different objects and spin or flap their arms. The ability to process information in their brains is impaired. It would be like trying to listen to a single person when dozens are speaking to you at once. They are overwhelmed with stimuli and don’t have the ability to process information correctly.

ASD is often present from birth, but can also be regressive. Children who appear to be developing normally typically start to lose the ability to communicate, interact or think like other children. This regressive form of ASD often becomes most apparent between the ages of 18 and 24 months.

The biomedical treatments I employ are based on research regarding the triggers of autism and on methods of diagnosing and treating. Biomedical treatments may not help every child with ASD but, in my experience, they help the majority of children develop skills that change their lives for the better. The courageous physicians and researchers of the Autism Research Institute have developed research-based protocols that have helped thousands of children. These treatments change the lives of children with ASD and their families by increasing language and communication capacity, as well as social interaction and cognition.
It is my job to help parents understand the potential weaknesses in their child’s system. I tell them, by testing for weaknesses and supporting them, dramatic increases in development can be seen.

One approach to treatment is called “functional medicine.” Functional medicine addresses underlying problems that are unique to each person. Biomedical treatments include vitamins, minerals, diet, amino acids, anti-microbial drugs or botanical medicines and pharmaceuticals. What makes these treatments different is how they are used. The Defeat Autism Now! approach uses individualized protocols that address individual differences in function. This is why so many children benefit from biomedical treatment.

The Intensive Behavioral Intervention addresses behavior but does not enhance development. The ARI collects ground breaking research from around the world and helps physicians develop a system of identifying underlying weakness. The biomedical treatments then help correct the impairments, which can result in enhanced language, sociability and comprehension.

My next patient has been undergoing biomedical treatment for the past six months. Joe is a five-year-old boy with bright blue eyes. Six months ago he couldn’t make consistent eye contact, wasn’t able to play with other children and had use of less than 50 words.

Joe’s family found my name on the Defeat Autism Now! clinician list. They asked me questions about information from the ARI Web site, Jenny McCarthy’s books and from their medical doctors. “Does he have yeast?” “Does he need B12 or B6?” “Does he need to detox?” “Are there any harmful side effects?”

After an initial assessment I ordered blood tests and food allergy testing. The results showed that Joe had detoxification impairments, problems with B12 absorption and an allergy to eggs and dairy so I developed an individualized protocol including diet instructions, B12 injections, essential fatty acids and pro-biotics.

After a month, Joe began using more words. After three months he was able to use short sentences. During today’s visit Joe tells me clearly that he has made two friends at school and is having the first sleepover of his life this weekend.

Throughout the rest of the day I have similar cases. Some children are progressing quickly. Others need special testing to identify a better protocol. The majority of my patients have improved significantly.
On my way home I feel tired but invigorated. There is no traditional treatment and the biomedical intervention I employ is revolutionary and incredibly rewarding for me as a doctor. Seeing children progress with each visit is a miracle and I love being part of it.

Today a little girl, who once shunned affection, gave her doctor a hug goodbye.

Today, a little boy has made new friends.

Many of us with children take these simple things for granted. For a parent whose child is on the autism spectrum, biomedical intervention shines an incredible ray of hope on a devastating disorder.

Published 7 May 2009. All Rights Reserved, ALIVE MAGAZINE.