Aspies For Freedom

Dietary Fiber From Germany May Ameliorate Autism Symptoms

A raft of recent reports in professional and mass media has refocused the spotlight on the devastating effects of autism. Autism is a vexing problem with a ten-fold increase over the past 20 years in the number of children afflicted with it. Now, one in every 166 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disease (ASD), a cluster of conditions commonly known as autism. It is for good reason that researchers, advocacy groups and the government are striving to improve the lives of children and their families, which exacts a heavy emotional, psychological and financial toll.

Autism is a complex disease in which cellular debris is not promptly removed from the brain. Since autism presents itself in a variety of ways, it is not surprising that the treatments are just as varied and numerous. Drugs ranging from anti-psychotics to stimulants to anti-convulsives have been used with unsatisfactory results. More recent investigations have emphasized afresh that factors other than what causes autism are responsible for the afflicted children. Therefore, a greater emphasis is now being placed on the management of secondary conditions common in autism sufferers.

Among the notable conditions autistic children suffer from are gastrointestinal maladies, food allergies, and heavy metals -- all of which cause anxiety, rashes, bellyaches and aggression. Hence, primary management of these conditions is gaining popularity. In fact, increasing evidence suggests that amelioration of these symptoms significantly improves quality of life of autistic children and their families.

A nutritional regimen that has shown to help restore gastrointestinal balance is inulin, a soluble fiber isolated from the root of Jerusalem artichoke. Inulin is a prebiotic that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, and thus restores balance in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. "When intestinal floral ecology is in healthy balance, the body produces a host of substances that offset adverse events in the GI tract that aggravate symptoms of autism," says Gloria Gilbère, ND., D.A.Hom, Ph.D., who has been at the forefront of advocating the use of nutritional means to help restore intestinal balance. "Inulin is not simply a prebiotic but it also has the advantage that it can help rid the body of heavy metals as well," continued Gilbère. Dr. Gilbère has a long-term interest in detoxification of the body, and is the author of several publications, such as Invisible Illnesses and Pain/Inflammation Matters.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_htm...e_id=82928

Hey, I have no problems with trying to improve the health of your intestinal tract, that's a good idea for anybody.

But what bothers me is that now ASD stands for Autism Sprectum Disease, not just disorder  any more (and disorder already bugs me).

Plus this of course is complete nonsense. Where do they get all that crap?

It's standard in any scam aimed at desperate people.

Autism isn't a disease! Whoever wrote that article is crazy!

Well it doesn't, not officially at any rate. There will always be uninformed reporters and scam artists using the wrong terminoilogy but that hardly represents the majority or any official terminology.

Noetic, I didn't mean it in the sense of it now being officially called that. What I meant is, that it bothers me when people take ASD and claim the D stands for disease instead of disorder, to sell their nonsense. I hope it doesn't catch on!

Just beautiful
next they will say its amyloid plaques, or prions, or a super-secret alien virus outbreak...

You know, ADHD used to be considered a result of brain damage...   maybe they will eventually come around on ASDs too.  

One day, I hope I meet one of these horses' asses, I look forward to explaining in short and simple sentences that its wrong to make stuff up.  And maybe a quick (who am I kidding...  Ill spend half an hour on this one) explanation of how biology works in reality (as opposed to the fantasy land in which this person appears to have been living).

It might be a good idea to E-Mail or write to such publications - they may not respond but sometimes they have to print corrections which would be a great way of making sure people register that the use of the term was wrong.

:?  WTF?

Autistic children suffer from heavy metals?  A prefect employment of the English language and modern biology.

'prefect'?  *snickers*  I dont see anythiong wrong with his sentence (gramatically, anyhow)

cellular debris does nto refer to heavy metals.  it refers to biological intermediates not properly metabolized, usually.  either that or unusually long  and often misfolded proteins, as in Huntington's disease.

But he does specifically mention heavy metals in the article itself.

Ah.  I must say however that until a specific cause is found, I will not remove heavy metals from the list, as unpalatable as the possibility may be.  Agreed, it is unlikely, but it is possible.  Toxic heavy metal exposure can apear to mimic heredity if the source of exposure is one shared by entire families, or any of several otehr possibilities.