Krysta McGinnis & Rachel Peterson EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON AUTISM

 According to 2013 DSM, all autism disorders fall under ASD  Autistic disorder  Childhood disintegrative disorder  Pervasive developmental disorder  Asperger's syndrome  Affects over 3 million people in the U.S.  CDC identifies 1 in 68 American children on the autism spectrum  The prevalence of autism has increased 10-fold in the last 40 years  More common in males than females  1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

 Characterized as a disorder in brain development  Associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention, and physical health issues  Social interaction issues  Sleep dysfunction  Pica  Speech and language communication issues  Often times suffer from GI issues  Known to excel in visual skills, math, music, and art CHARACTERISTICS

 No known single cause  Genetic link  Potential causes and current research is looking at:  Pregnancy or delivery issues  Viral infections  Exposure to chemicals  Metabolic imbalances ETIOLOGY

 Tends to appear in early brain development  Signs and symptoms begin to emerge by the age of 2 or 3  May be abrupt or gradual  No medical detection or cure  Typically regresses to severe intellectual disability  Requires life-long support  Co-morbidities, such as epilepsy tend to accompany the disease  Mortality rates in autistic individuals is twice as high ONSET AND OUTLOOK

 Researchers looked at the nutritional and metabolic statuses of children with autism compared to neurotypical children  99 participants of similar age and geographical location  Neither group took supplements 2 months prior to data collection  Measured vitamin status, mineral status, oxidative stress, and energy production  Results: Autistic group showed low levels of: biotin, ATP, NADH, NADPH, tryptophan and high levels of: oxidative stress markers and plasma glutamate (Adams, Audhya, McDonough-Means, Rubin, & Quig, 2011) CURRENT RESEARCH

 Nutritional status survey of developing children with autism and typically developing children aged 4-6 years  106 participants age 4-6: ½ control group, ½ with ASD  Parents provided 3 day food diary, took survey on GI issues of their child  Anthropometric measurements of participants were taken  Results: parents of autistic children reported more eating problems; autistic children suffered from more GI issues; autistic children exhibited more food allergies/intolerances, tantrums, and aggressive behaviors  Conclusion: nutrition adequacies are more prevalent in children with ASD (Sun, Xia, Zhao, Li, Zhao, & Wu, 2013) CURRENT RESEARCH

 Effect of vitamin and mineral supplements on children and adults with autism  141 participants aging from 5-60 years old, male and female  Control group (placebo) and supplement group  Pre and post symptoms of autism were tested, participants were given no supplement for 2 months prior to study  Results: the supplement group had significantly greater improvements in symptoms  Tantruming, hyperactivity, use of language  Conclusion: a vitamin/mineral supplement is a reasonable therapy to consider for most children/adults with autism (Adams, Audhya, McDonough-Means, Rubin, & Quig, 2011) CURRENT RESEARCH

 Vitamin and mineral deficiencies  Gastrointestinal concerns  Drug-nutrient interactions  Food intolerances and allergies  Alternative therapies (CAM) NUTRITIONAL CONCERNS

 Limited food selection/strong dislikes  Feeding difficulties  Sensory processing  Visual sensitivities  Medications  Antipsychotic drugs  Alpha-adrenergic agonists  Mood stabilizers  Antidepressants  Stimulants  Anticonvulsants  Sleep medications  Gastrointestinal agents ISSUES THAT IMPACT EATING HABITS

 3-4 servings of nutritious vegetables & 1-2 servings of fruit  Vegetables and fruits contain essential vitamins, minerals, & phytonutrients  1-2 servings of protein  Protein is needed to provide amino acids  Reduction of sugar intake SUGGESTED INTAKE

 Food dyes and artificial colors  High-fructose corn syrup  Artificial flavorings  Artificial preservatives  Artificial sweeteners  Avoid “junk food”  Greatly reduce/avoid fried foods or foods containing transfats ELIMINATE

 Elimination Diet Therapy  LEAP (Lifestyle, Eating, & Performance)  Mediator Release Test  Gluten Free/Casein Free (GFCF) Diet  Ketogenic Diet  Specific Carbohydrate Diet  Organic Diet/Limiting Processed Foods DIET OPTIONS

 GFCF Diet  Breakfast: scrambled eggs,  Ketogenic Diet  Breakfast: Ham and cheese omelette  Lunch: SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

 Multivitamins  Omega-3 fatty acids  Vitamin D  Vitamin B6  Magnesium  Melatonin  Probiotics and antifungals  Digestive enzymes SUPPLEMENTATION

 Work as a part of an interdisciplinary team  Consider everything  Ensure diet adequacy AS AN RD YOU SHOULD -

 Autism affects how many people in the U.S.? a. 200,000 b. 3 million c. 10 million  Which gender is autism more prevalent in? a. Males b. Females c. No difference  If a child with ASD begins to gain excessive weight after starting a new medication, which could be the cause? a. Antipsychotic drugs b. Stimulants c. Anticonvulsants  What supplement may be needed to aid in brain development and proper neural function? a. Vitamin B6 b. Magnesium c. Omega-3 fatty acid  Answers: b, a, a QUESTIONS

 Adams, J. (2013). Summary of Dietary, Nutritional, and Medical Treatments for Autism. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from Generation Rescue: dietary-nutritional-and-medical-treatment-for-ASD.pdf  Adams, J., Audhya, T., McDonough-Means, S., Rubin, R., & Quig, D. (2011). Effects of a Vitamin/Mineral Supplement on Children and Adults with Autism. BMC Pediatrics.  Adams, J., Audhya, T., McDonough-Means, S., Rubin, R., & Quig, D. (2011). Nutritional and Metabolic Status of Children with Autism vs. Neurotypical Children, and the Association with Autism Severity. Nutrition Metabolism (London),  Childhood Disinigrative Disorder. (2014). Retrieved November 18, 2014, from Patient:  Golnik, A. (2013). Autism Spectrum Disorders. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from Taking Charge:  Goodfriend, G. (2014). Can Diet Improve the Symptoms of Autism?. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from NCHPAD:  Nicholaidis, C., Raymaker, D., McDonald, K., Dern, S., Boisclair, C., & Baggs, A. (2013). Comparison of Healthcare Experiences in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults. Journal of General Internal Medicine,  Nierengarten, M. (2014). Managing Autism Symptoms Through Nutrition. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from Contemporary Pediatrics: pediatrics/content/tags/autism/managing-autism-symptoms-through-nutrition?page=full  Privett, D. (2013). Autism Spectrum Disorder — Research Suggests Good Nutrition May Manage Symptoms. Today’s Dietitian. Green Valley Printing Company, Inc. 15:46  Sun, C., Xia, W., Zhao, Y., Li, N., Zhao, D., & Wu, L. (2013). Nutritional status survey of developing children with autism and typically developing children aged 4-6 years in China. Journal of Nutritional Science,  Symptoms. (2014). Retrieved November 17, 2014, from Autism Speaks: LITERATURE CITED