Autism Linked to decreased microbe diversity in the gut: Study

Autism linked to decreased microbe diversity
in the gut: Study
By Nathan Gray, 03­Jul­2013


The diversity of beneficial bacteria in our guts may be associated with the development of autism, according to the first comprehensive analysis bacterial analysis of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The race to map and understand the microbial microflora that inhabits our guts is one of the hottest topics and greatest challenges in current research. The suggested links between the microbiota and a whole range of health conditions and wellness measures – including digestion, body weight, immunity, mood, and heart health – are only now beginning to be understood.
Writing in PLoS One, the research team led by Rosa Krajmalnik­Brown of Arizona State University present findings from the first comprehensive bacterial analysis focusing on commensal – or beneficial – bacteria in children with ASD, finding that children with autism had significantly fewer types of gut bacteria and had significantly lower amounts of three critical bacteria, Prevotella, Coprococcus, and Veillonellaceae.

"One of the reasons we started addressing this topic is the fact that autistic children have a lot of GI problems that can last into adulthood," Krajmalnik­Brown said. "Studies have shown that when we manage these problems, their behaviour improves dramatically."

"We think of Prevotella as a healthy, good thing to have," she added. "We believe that a diverse gut is a healthy gut."

Significant study 
Commenting on the research, Dr Alex Richardson of University of Oxford ­ and founder of UK­based charity Food and Behaviour (FAB) Research ­ suggested that the study is important in confirming that 'distinct abnormalities' of gut microflora are present in children with autistic spectrum disorders.

might-a-mins spectrum probiotics

"Obviously these latest findings are only correlational, but they need following up," she said.

"Given what we know about the very strong links between the health of the brain, the gut and the immune system, we urgently need more research into their possible implications – particularly for developing new treatment approaches," she said.

"Children with autism often have other health problems that an unhealthy balance of gut flora – and its effects on the immune system – might plausibly help to explain."

Richardson added that many parents and health professionals already maintain that dietary changes can not only improve the general health of children with autism, but can also have an impact on the autism symptoms ­ "and there is no question that diet affects the gut microbiome," she added.

Study details
The research team analysed gut microflora from faecal samples in a cohort of 20 healthy and 20 autistic
participants aged between 3 and 16 years using high­throughput method – known as pyrosequencing – which allows many DNA samples to be combined as well as many sequences per sample to be analysed.

might-a-mins spectrum digestive enzymes

In doing so, Krajmalnik­Brown noted that the new study is the first to approach autism from a different angle, by examining the possible role of commensal gut bacteria.

Analysis of the high­ throughput data showed that a lower diversity of gut microbes was positively correlated with the presence of autistic symptoms in the study ­ detecting significantly decreased microbial diversity in the 20 autistic subjects whose faecal samples were analysed.  To learn more about the study click here

To learn more about probiotic supplements that could help improve microbial diversity that could help click here.

Study Finds Antioxidant Effective For Autism

Study Finds Antioxidant Effective For Autism

by Sean Wells

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a nutrient well-known specifically for displaying strong antioxidant activity, has been advocated as a valuable asset for purposes related to detoxification. A new study now suggests it may be effective in easing irritability and repetitive behaviors in children with autism–a disorder displaying alarming increases.

The 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study involved 33 children, aged 3 to 12, and, reflective of the general characteristic of the disorder, predominantly male (31 of 33). All were diagnosed with an autistic disorder and Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) score of 4 or higher.

The children were randomly divided into experimental and placebo groups. The N-acetyl cysteine protocol involved a steady increase in dosage, consisting first of 900 mg of NAC administered daily for four  weeks, followed by 900 mg twice daily for four weeks, followed by 900 mg taken three times daily for a final four weeks.

Follow-up data were available on 14 of the children in the NAC-receiving group and on 15 children in the placebo group. Compared with placebo, NAC treatment was associated with a significant decrease in irritability scores from 13.1 to 7.2 on the Aberrant Behavior Check List (or ABC) irritability subscale. Improvement was observed in week four and continued through weeks eight and 12, according to authors.

The change is not as large as that seen in children taking antipsychotics, according to lead investigator Antonio Hardan, MD, from Stanford University School of Medicine, in Palo Alto, California, “but this is still a potentially valuable tool to have before jumping on these big guns.”

These results lend some support to related observations involving dietary changes in autistic children, particularly so-called “elimination diets”, and collectively these studies serve to strengthen the association believed to exist between certain nutritional “pollutants” and the impaired cognitive function characteristic of autism. Additional research is required to help narrow the focus, but the study above not only reveals more about the causes of autism, but potentially one part of the solution.

Pycnogenol pine bark extract shown to protect diabetics from swelling, circulation and vision problems

NaturalNews) A research study conducted by G D'Annunzio University in Italy evaluated the benefits of a popular form of pine bark extract in helping diabetics. Published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, findings revealed that people with diabetes can avoid developing retinopathy and maintain proper micro-circulation by supplementing with pine bark.

A total of 46 diabetic patients were involved in the randomized, controlled study. Twenty-four of them were treated with pine bark extract once a day for three months while the remaining 22 were given a placebo. All the patients had diabetes for at least four years and all were beginning to develop retinopathy. Seventy-five percent of patients in the pine bark group experienced improvement in their vision while none in the placebo group did.

Dr. Robert Steigerwalt, one of the lead researchers of the study, confirmed that not only does pine bark extract halt the progression of diabetic retinopathy, it can cause it to regress by sealing the leaky blood vessels in the eye that lead to the disease. Such results were witnessed in as little as two months. He also noted that diabetics in the early stages of the disease can prevent such complications from ever occurring by supplementing with pine bark extract.

Pycnogenol, the branded formula of the antioxidant plant extract derived from the French maritime pine tree, has proven itself time and time again to be a powerful protective nutrient, particularly for diabetics. When administered during the early stages of diabetes, many studies have shown that pine bark is effective at preventing and treating the diabetic retinal diseases.



Comments by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Pycnogenol is one of the "miracle nutrients" we've been blessed with on this planet. Time and time again, it has been proven to offer truly remarkable health benefits to those people who taken the supplement.

Now, this research shows how beneficial pycnogenol can be for diabetics. It's an important piece of research showing how this tree-derived nutrient helps increase circulation that can ultimately help save lives.

It's not just an antioxidant, you see: It's also a potent circulation booster. Combined with other circulation-boosting herbs like ginger and ginkgo, it could be an extremely effective natural remedy for preventing diabetic neuropathy (degradation of the nerves) and retinopathy (degradation of the retina).


Pycnogenol is just One of the three main ingredients in Market America's OPC-3
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