Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies: What’s Going on With Our Kids?
I want to begin my first post here by talking about something that is very basic to the perpetuation of our society: our children. The specific question I want to ask is simple but key: What the heck is happening to our kids? Why am I starting with this question? Let me give you some background information.
In the United States and other industrialized, developed nations, epidemics of malnutrition and common childhood infectious illnesses are almost a thing of the past due primarily to the technological advances of our industrial era. However, we are in the midst of a group of new childhood epidemics that are directly related to this same industrialism and its associated pollution, environmental degradation and toxicity. One set of epidemics has, unfortunately, been replaced by another.
I have termed the new childhood epidemics “the 4-A disorders,” and they include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), asthma and allergies. Over the past quarter of a century, autism has increased a staggering 1500 percent, while ADHD, asthma and allergies have also skyrocketed. I find these meteoric increases staggering, and they beg the question: Why?
This simultaneous rise is not coincidental. All of these disorders appear to be linked together by a similar mechanism: an underlying genetic vulnerability, triggered by environmental insults. The primary underlying genetic vulnerability appears to be, in many children, an impaired ability to detoxify, which has left them unable to cope with the ever increasing number and level of toxins to which they are exposed. These toxins include numerous chemicals, plasticizers, bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides such as organophosphates and organochlorines. They also include heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and aluminum. Added concerns arise from the phenomenon of synergistic toxicity among heavy metals and toxic chemicals. This means that even when threshold levels of individual toxins have not been exceeded, their combined effect can be quite significant and harmful.
To effectively overcome the inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, immune dysfunction and other disparate factors that often result in a diagnosis of one of the 4-A disorders, a comprehensive treatment program must be initiated. I call this the 4-A Healing Program, and it consists of five primary elements: avoiding toxicants, dietary modification, nutritional supplementation, detoxification and administration of medication (as appropriate).
Avoidance of toxicants is essential to nutritional and detoxification strategies, as they are obviously hampered by continued toxic environmental exposures. To explain this a bit further, let’s take the classic example of two people in a rowboat that has sprung a leak. One approach to the problem is to use a pail to bale the water out, working feverishly just to keep up with the water still coming in from the leak. On the other hand, they could plug the leak and prevent more water from coming in and thereby lessen the demand for corrective measures downstream. The second approach, plugging the leak, is what we’re doing by avoiding further exposures to environmental toxins.
Dietary modification is extremely important. Many children with 4-A disorders have gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including constipation, diarrhea, abdominal bloating, gas and pain. Most of those with GI symptoms (and even some without obvious GI symptoms) have underlying gut issues including malabsorption, maldigestion, dysbiosis (or unbalanced intestinal flora) and/or increased intestinal permeability – the so-called “leaky gut.” Main contributors to these gastrointestinal abnormalities are dietary factors, including food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. The most common offending foods seem to be gluten (the protein in grains including wheat, barley, rye and some oats) and casein (a protein in dairy foods, including milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream). Some of these foods may even promote an addictive-type effect due to the endogenous morphines they produce. Avoiding these foods, especially gluten and casein, may initially produce withdrawal symptoms but often ultimately results in significant positive changes.
Nutritional supplementation is virtually always needed to support healing. Most children with 4-A disorders suffer from significant nutritional deficiencies, which not only contribute to neurological dysfunction, but also to other metabolic processes, such as proper function of the body and brain. At times there are frank deficiencies, but in other instances there are nutrient insufficiencies and/or imbalances that can cause adverse effects. Because there is a significant overlap in the factors that cause the 4-A disorders, there is also often a significant overlap in the nutritional supplement programs that benefit the children suffering from these new childhood epidemics. Many of these children, regardless of their diagnoses, benefit from minerals (such as magnesium, zinc, selenium, chromium and iron), antioxidant vitamins (including vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E), the B vitamins, vitamin B-6 and methylcobalamin, vitamin D, targeted amino acids, essential fatty acids and probiotics.
Detoxification, the essential process of eliminating toxins from the body, can be significantly improved in many children, particularly those who suffer from impaired detoxification abilities. Methods for improving detoxification include the use of nutritional and herbal substances, including glutathione, taurine and curcumin, and in some cases the careful and judicious use of pharmaceutical chelators.
Medication, the fifth and final element of the program, is an integral part of treatment for many children who suffer from these disorders, and it is obviously an important factor in controlling asthma. In all of the 4-A disorders, a wide variety of medications may be of value, depending upon the individual needs of the child. These can include antifungals, immune modulators and anti-inflammatories to name just a few.
This comprehensive program, when applied cautiously, patiently, scientifically and systematically, has been clinically shown to trigger recoveries in children with each of the 4-A disorders. It appears as if this approach may represent one of the most promising avenues of treatment for autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies. Healing the environment and decreasing toxic exposures may ultimately be even more effective than medical treatment at stopping the proliferation of these new childhood epidemics. That task, though, will take time, and involve the cooperation of not only physicians, researchers and parents, but government and corporations as well.
For now, our focus must be on healing our children, one at a time. Our grave responsibility, as physicians and as parents, is to allow our children – born of love, and nurtured by those who love them most – to have the healthy, happy lives that all children deserve.
Photo Credit: Symic
If you liked this post, click LIKE below!
17 Comments
Thank you for writing this! It’s so important so keep the good information coming. As always, this site rocks!
I would love to find more information out about healing ADHD this way. for my oldest son we tried the detox, vitamins, supplements, plus we are vegetarian. But it did not help improve his focus after 9 months. Can anyone suggest information or a website to check out. I would love to get my 4 sons and husband off ADHD meds!
Tara, How about acupuncture for ADHD? It amazingly has calmed my ADD brain and I love my new life. I am now able to calmly focus on ONE thought rather than have a dozen bouncing around in my brain; control impulses with absolutely no effort on my part, and I’m able to keep my big mouth shut and allow others to complete their sentences :) I am a new person thanks to acupuncture and dietary changes.
I was excited to read this post when I saw the title, as I am an Autism Support Worker and find information such as this very interesting. It saddens me to see all the children that come through our agency, and I know they can be helped so much by some important environmental changes. Great article, thank you so much for posting.
Thank you for addressing such an important topic! I wish more MD’s will see the big picture of our next generation as you do!
I agree!!! My husband and I were horrified today at the pediatricians when we found propaganda from McDonalds about nutrition and healthy choices for children. In the doctors office? What?! Is this what constitutes nutritional counseling? the burden our children’s bodies are bearing due to the continuing degradation of our planet and the incessant use of chemicals that disrupt their fine hormonal balance, is an outrage. The sad part is that most people have no idea what is healthy and they rely on professionals, especially doctors, to guide them. And doctors don’t even get nutritional training in med school!! Besides that they put their faith blindly in the USDA and other governmental agencies that supposedly have our health as their main concern. When their real concern is appeasing the lobbyist and contributors to their financial well being. Sorry for the rant. Could have just said, “I agree Kris,” well spoken.
As a medical student, I find it sad and frustrating that most of the blame goes back to the MDs. Sadly, time is very limited. We only have 15 minutes with each patient therefore we just do not have the time to go into deep detailed discussion on nutrition. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to, but even if in 15 minutes, after addressing the concern of the parent who bought the child in we have the time to convince the mom to switch from french fries to apple slices when she buys a happy meal, to me that’s a positive thing that I am proud of. It’s at least one small baby step in the right direction. However the good thing is that if I am one medical student who is a big supporter and promoter of alternative medicine, and understands the great effect that nutrition and environment has on health, I bet there are 100′s of others who see the same way! Hopefully the next generations of doctors will change the way they practice and counsel patients.
Hmmm…is this the same chelation you were selling to Alzheimer’s caregivers in the 1990′s? Back then you were touting the benefits of chelation to remove the aluminum from the brains of their loved ones so they’d be cured of their dementia. Selling false hope to Alzheimer’s caregivers then was equally appalling as is the false hope you’re peddling to desperate parents now. As far as I’m concerned you’re a charlatan who deserves a hot seat in hell some day.
Same Jane A Worlock? :
http://akthelia.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=36
“Jane Worlock has broad commercial expertise in the international pharmaceutical industry over the last 30 years, encompassing sales, marketing, business development and licensing. ”
Jane, you clearly do not have an affected child, or you’d know that docs like Bock are actually HELPING our kids instead of HURTING them the way the pharmaceutical industry has. Shame on you. It isn’t Bock who deserves punishment, it’s those who continue to increase our(parents of injured children) ranks.
Yes Carrie,I agree with you. It is difficult to speak on a subject without individual experience..
Kriss and her associates are doing more for these ailments than anyone I have read.They are trying to communicate the help that is out there, without alot of drugs.
Maybe Dr Worlock should keep to the advancement of treatment of C.diff, which is devastating to my patients.
Please, Ms. Viola, after med school commit to TIME with your patients. I understand now your restraints, but you can change that in practice.My cancer surgeon only schedules 5-6 pts daily so she can discuss their health and ways to improve their life.
Thank you for helping put this important information out there. New moms like myself need to know that that there IS something we can do to help our children avoid the four A’s.
I read Dr. Bocks book after my doctor recommended it. My sons and I both see an M.D. who focuses on holistic healing and what a difference it has made for all of us. My one son has ADD and eczema, the other has motor tics and bowel issues, and I have gastroparesis and hormonal balance. Nonholistic MD’s weren’t able to help any of us (frankly “nothing we can do just wait and see” approach), but following a healing program, with patience, has truly made a difference. We are still early on our journey but I’ll keep with it due to the results we have seen already. It’s amazing how many people have noticed the difference in my sons and myself (not knowing what we have been doing).
Everything here is a good start but the three key things vital things that weren’t mentioned were:
- reduce or remove sugar (especially HFCS and other artificial sweeteners – sodas are fast reduction but hard for some people to quit)
- add in regular exercise (even 30 minutes of intense walking 3x/week)
- and regular exposure to sun
Vitamin D supplement will cover the sun part for some people but I’ve found for me I need to get outside or go for regular short visits to the tanning bed in the winter both for mood and allergies. Tried supplements and full spectrum lighting with no change, though I know other people that these things help.
I’m more familiar with allergies than the other problems but I think what I mention above would also help the other “A” diseases.
4 Years ago I changed our lifestyles due to my youngest son. From day one he was always climbing never able to sit still, threw fits and was angry a lot. Within 3 months of changing our diets I had people asking me what medications I had put him on. I removed white sugar, white flour and and white rice from our diets. We dont drink anything but water, juice and tea. We order our grass fed meat from a local rancher and try to eat as much organic as possible. We very seldom get sick and when we feel something coming on I use Young Living Essential Oils. I have not given them over the counter drugs or prescriptions since we changed our diets.
Well I do all of this for my children I also explain to them why we eat and take care of our bodies.
We went camping with friends and a new person to our group offered a pop to my youngest son and was shocked to hear him refuse it and tell why and what it does to your body.
We can make a difference!
Organic. You have to eat and feed your children ONLY organic food. The rest is tainted by GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, and POPs. On January 1, 2011 I threw out all of my non-organic food and re-stocked with only organic. Already I feel so much better. The persistent cough and sick feeling cleared up. I have tons of positive energy. This is from someone who watches what she eats and is a vegetarian in the first place. Yes, organic food costs more but you are worth it! Vote three times a day for organic food.
Carrie Elsass and others…I am NOT the person you reference and have never worked for a pharmaceutical company. For your information I happen to be the parent of an affected child….you shouldn’t make assumptions…
Chelation kills. Period. It makes me sick to listen to people quote pseudo-science…I’m all for organic foods and keeping chemicals out of our diets but to Kenneth Bock has been making BIG money for decades.
Amen! Thanks for addressing such an important subject. While the task of changing the collective American mindset on what constitutes healthful seems daunting at times, particularly on the days when I find myself explaining that granola is not a fruit, we must push forward because our young ones are counting on us.
December 27, 2010