11 Secrets to Improving Autism Symptoms
Everyone can agree that autism is one of the most complex chronic health conditions. There is dysfunction in various parts of the body, so it’s hard to know where to start. For this reason, I wanted to provide a detailed article founded on my personal experience and scientific research. This will give you the natural tools you need to tackle autism head-on.
In this article, I will cover the root causes of autism. Afterward, I will reveal the 11 secrets to improving autism symptoms. To follow, I will answer several common questions about overcoming autism symptoms. Scroll down to get started!
Root Causes of Autism
Several issues exist in children with autism. Typically, there is an imbalance in the gut microbiome (1); the detox pathways are compromised (2), the mast cells are hyperreactive (3), and the regulatory T cells are not functioning correctly(4). In addition, because of all this, the body develops immune sensitivities to foods, things in the air, EMF, stress, and more.
When these reactions occur, they feed into the chronic inflammation, which drives the autism symptoms. Since this inflammation is caused by the mast cells, you must identify what triggers them. The most important places to start are the diet and the environment. You must identify hidden food sensitivities and do proper testing. If you ignore either of these areas, the autism symptoms could persist for a lifetime.
Secrets to Improving Autism Symptoms
Proper Lab Tasting
If your child has been diagnosed with autism, there are a few extremely important tests. First is the comprehensive digestive stool analysis. This assesses good/bad bacteria, digestive enzyme production, S-IgA, zonulin, and PLENTY more. Second, you should get a Total Tox Burden Test to assess urine mycotoxins/heavy metals and other harmful substances.Third, you should get an organic acids test (OAT) that includes an amino acid profile. This will give you information about the function of the detoxification system, digestion of fats/proteins, amino acid levels, whether there is a significant bacterial/fungal/mold infection present, and more.
Lastly, I would perform an IgG/IgE mycotoxin blood test to determine if the body has developed immune sensitivities to mycotoxins. Out of all the tests, this has the most promise. If your child shows up as highly sensitive to trichothecene mycotoxins, then it could be the root cause of the “autism” symptoms. These four tests together cost roughly $1200 but are well worth it. With this information, you can determine the priorities, which will help you modify your plan.
Support Detox Pathways
Dietary Support: The first step to supporting detoxification is implementing a plant-based diet that is vegetable-dominant but also contains fruits, potatoes, rice, and beans/lentils. When the detox system is backed up, you must start with a low-protein diet. This is because protein causes the most stress of any food on the liver and kidneys. In addition, it’s the hardest to break down in the gut, so it will likely putrefy and cause symptoms to worsen.
Please note, I have seen some kids do better with a fruit-dominant diet vs. vegetable/starch-dominant. The reason is, fruit is the easiest to break down and has the simplest protein structure. The reduces the likelihood of proteins leaking through their gut and permeating the BBB.
Ideally, you want to increase carbohydrates and fiber to compensate for the reduction in protein. Also, you want to have two servings of fat per day in moderate amounts. If symptoms worsen after moderate levels of fat, just use less. There will be a sweet spot with the proteins/fats, so just be conservative. The worst thing you can do is EAT TOO MUCH.
Supplement Support: To support the detox pathways, you can also try supplements like broccoli sprout extract, chlorella, and artichoke leaf extract. My favorite is broccoli sprout extract, which I use in BioToxin Binder by CellCore. Broccoli sprout extract increases Nrf2, stimulating the natural production of detoxification enzymes like glutathione. Also, the main ingredient, sulforaphane, has shown to reduce irritability, lethargy, and hyperactivity in studies of children with autism.
Though detox support supplements can be helpful, I would use them after the prebiotics, probiotics, and binders. In addition, all of the other supplements I will mention support the detoxification system, so don’t worry, you will be covered.
Implement Elimination Diet
The most important thing you can do for autism is identify the dietary irritants. This can be a very difficult process unless you perform an elimination diet. This requires you to consume only low-allergy plant-based foods for 2 to 3 weeks and then reintroduce foods that are riskier one at a time. If your symptoms worsen after consuming certain foods, you know your body isn’t ready for them yet.
When starting the elimination diet, focus on foods with the simplest protein structures. These are typically vegetables, fruits, potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, and oils. Consuming only these foods for an extended period allows the gut lining to heal, supports the growth of beneficial bacteria, and significantly reduces immune reactivity. This can dramatically impact autism symptoms.
Toxin Binding Supplements
People with autism often have a severe backup of heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other harmful substances. To get the detox system working again, you must make the dietary changes mentioned previously; then you want to implement BINDERS. This will help you remove the things that your body can’t.
My favorite toxin binders for autism are micronized zeolite, bentonite clay, carbonized bamboo, apple pectin, and humic acid. These all have a dual effect on mycotoxins, heavy metals, and other pollutants, like plastics. To learn more about which brands are best and what doses I used, click on best mycotoxin binders for more information:
Phytonutrient Supplements
Many of the symptoms of autism are driven by neurological inflammation. To combat this, you must use natural plant-based supplements which keep the mast cells calm. This is where phytonutrients come into play. There are countless options, many of which reduce neurological inflammation while improving gut health and modulating immune response.
My favorite phytonutrients for autism are apigenin, naringin, luteolin, resveratrol, baicalin, genistein, and sulforaphane. These miraculous substances are derived from plants/herbs, and countless studies have supported them. If you want to learn about more phytonutrients that could be helpful for autism, click on the link provided.
Use Prebiotic Supplements
Prebiotic supplements can be extremely helpful for people with autism. Though you want to start slow and gradually build tolerance, there is immense potential once you get to a therapeutic dose. The reason is, these prebiotics feed the beneficial bacteria, which keep the immune system calm by creating anti-inflammatory compounds like short-chain fatty acids. In my opinion, prebiotics are better than probiotics because they feed a wide variety of beneficial bacteria and have more diverse properties. In addition, they are much more likely to be tolerated by someone who is ultra-reactive to foods and supplements.
My favorite prebiotics are arabinogalactan, acacia senegal, apple pectin, inulin, and colostrum. To learn more about the best prebiotics for the gut, click the link provided. All of these have been shown to increase good bacteria and calm down mast cells. This is critical when dealing with autism since the symptom flares are driven by mast cell activation.
Reduce Protein/Increase Fiber
To change the gut microbiome and balance your immune system, you must transition your diet from high protein to high FIBER. The reason is, histamine-producing bacteria love amino acids and animal fats. In addition, most people with autism do not break down proteins very well. When this occurs, the food rots, and the toxic byproducts aggravate autism symptoms even further.
In contrast, beneficial bacteria prefer plant fiber. When they have enough plant fiber, they can produce sufficient short-chain fatty acids. These are the most critical signaling molecules in the gut. They influence the immune system throughout the body, including the brain.
Reduce EMF/Electronic Usage
I know there is a time and place for using devices, but you must pay attention to how they act after being removed. If their behavior worsens after the devide removed, they are probably being overstimulated. Also, when using portable devices, electromagnetic frequencies are emitted, often irritating highly sensitive people.
If you notice a behavior change after they use the tablet, computer, or phone, maybe it’s time to take a break and see what happens. Keep in mind that people who are sick are often attached to the things that are causing them the most harm. This is true for anything from foods to electronic devices.
High Doses of Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium is the most important for the gut and immune system. It resists pathogens, creates short-chain fatty acids, calms down mast cells, and more. When taken in high doses, Bifidobacterium causes the immune system to calm down, reducing inflammation.
I have spoken to several parents who used very high doses of bifidobacterium and saw miraculous changes in behavior. These improvements happened at doses between 6 to 12 capsules per day of Probiota Bifido by Seeking Health. If this gets too expensive, look into my bifido bomb or fermented colostrum recipe. Both of these increase the potency and reduce the overall cost.
Drinking Raw Colostrum
By drinking raw colostrum, you can heal up the gut lining, restore levels of good bacteria, calm down the immune system, remove pathogens, and more. Since animal products are tough to digest for people with autism, you need to start slow. If you notice any worsening in symptoms, you may have to ferment the colostrum with Bifidobacterium to increase the availability and assist in the breakdown. I had to do this for my daughter, who could not tolerate proteins or fats well. After fermenting, she tolerated it, and I saw noticeable symptom relief. Ideally, this should be your sole source of animal products until symptoms improve.
Increase Alkalinity of the Body
Most people with autism have hyperacidosis, which means their pH levels are much lower than they should be (5). Because of this, the immune system is highly overactive, the cells lack oxygen, the lymph is blocked, and the detoxification system is compromised. To reduce symptom severity, you want to increase alkalinity in any way possible.
Some ideas for increasing your pH level are focusing on a diet emphasizing vegetables and fruits, making fresh juices from vegetables, and taking PH-boosting supplements like liquid chlorophyll, Aquamin magnesium, or micronized zeolite.
FAQ- Overcoming Autism Symptoms Naturally
What is the first step when trying to reduce autism symptoms?
The first step in reducing autism symptoms is eliminating all irritants in the diet. Also, we must also transition from a diet focused on protein and fat to one that is focused on carbohydrates and fiber. Once we accomplish this, we must perform the proper lab test to determine if there is a mycotoxin sensitivity.
Also, we must replace ALL scented products in the home with unscented natural products. This includes laundry detergent, cleaning chemicals, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and more. These are all synthetic, which can aggravate symptoms for someone with autism. Even blanketing should be cotton, not polyester or other synthetic fibers. Trust me, ALL of these things matter. My daughter was so sick at one point, she would have asthmatic attacks and severe eczema when exposed to blankets with polyester. When I looked further into it, I realized that polyester is made from plastic bottles. This is the last thing you want pressing against your skin.
After addressing all dietary/environmental threats, we start with prebiotics and then move on to probiotics, binders, and colostrum. Remember, we must take everything a step at a time to understand why the body is reacting the way it is. This is critical when trying to overcome autism symptoms. You will never understand the correlations if you change too many things at once.
How often are mycotoxins involved in autism symptoms?
Mycotoxins are one of the main things that you need to be concerned about if you have autism. The reality is, mycotoxins are the most dangerous of all environmental threats. When the body is overwhelmed, like it is with autism, it will react to nearly everything it is exposed to. For this reason, you must be hyper-observant of your symptoms and how they correlate to environmental changes. This will give you a clue as to whether environmental irritants are your primary trigger.
How can I identify the triggers of autism symptoms?
The most important thing is to create a diet free of triggers. This will allow you to remain more stable so that you can notice the things that trigger you. In most situations, creating a symptom journal can be very helpful. The key is that it MUST document everything you are eating, environmental changes, and any symptoms. For example, you may notice you felt worse after leaving the library, which had a musty smell. This would indicate that environmental irritants may be the primary cause of your “autism”.
Over time, the symptom journal will show correlations between what you did and the symptoms you experienced. This will help you slay the beast and overcome your symptoms. I do this with all of my complex chronic illness cases because, without factual data right in front of us, we are making uninformed decisions. To learn more about creating a symptom journal properly, click the link provided.
What if autism symptoms worsen after various supplements?
If symptoms are worsening after taking synthetic supplements or natural antimicrobials, then it’s understandable. These things are not a good match for an aggravated immune system. If symptoms worsen within minutes after taking any of the supplements I mentioned, you have an environmental issue driving your reactions. That is the only time I’ve seen paradoxical reactions since all of them are immune-modulators
For example, Bifidobacterium should calm the immune system down when taken in large amounts. If a person takes it and has anxiety or heart palpitations, that is a sign there is an environmental irritant present. Remember, the quicker the reaction occurs after taking the supplement, the more severe the environmental situation typically is. I have experienced this myself and seen it in my daughter/clients.
What supplements are best for autism symptoms?
I have listed plenty of supplements in this article. The key point to remember is, supplements are NOT the first step in the recovery process. In fact, they should only be utilized after addressing the dietary and environmental irritants. Without making changes in these areas, the supplements will have little chance for lasting success.
In addition, MOST supplements will make autism symptoms worse if the person is already being triggered. Take it from me: my daughter couldn’t tolerate supplements for six years until we got out of the moldy environment. If there is any supplement group to start with, it would be the prebiotics, and then I would move to the bifidobacterium, binders, and colostrum.
Also, a few supplements worth trying are plant-derived vitamin D3, magnesium, and vitamin B12. These are critical to immune balance, enzyme production, and stress tolerance. Since many of these can be severely deficient in those with autism, you may get lucky and see immense benefits. On the other hand, they could produce reactions if the immune system is aggravated enough. For this reason, you should always try one thing at a time and ROTATE all supplements. If you don’t, you set yourself up for confusion and more immune reactions.
Why is consistency so important for autism recovery?
To reduce autism symptoms, you must recondition the immune response. This means that you must ensure that you are not being triggered in any way. For people with autism, this is typically done by ingesting foods with complex protein structures that are not broken down well due to the compromised gut.
To overcome autism symptoms, we must eliminate the triggering episodes at all costs. If not, it’s like you’re picking a scab repeatedly. Avoiding triggers in your diet can reduce the reactivity and population of mast cells, which will improve the severity of autism symptoms.
Conclusion- Autism Symptoms Can Improve with Changes
There is no doubt that autism is extremely complex, but the truth is, the symptom severity is dictated by your immune system. By eliminating the triggers in your diet, improving air quality in your home, taking immune-modulating supplements, and implementing stress reduction routines, your autism symptoms can improve significantly.
Now that you have the knowledge you need, the hardest part is creating a plan and sticking with it during stressful times. This is the true recipe for overcoming autism symptoms. Though this approach requires a lot of change, from what I’ve seen, the rewards can be priceless!
If you have any questions about autism, get in touch. I’m willing to help and blessed to have the opportunity.
Happy healing everyone!
Matt Nedin
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
EndSickness – Founder
Phone: (734) 846-8619
Email: endsickness@gmail.com
WhatsApp/Telegram: +17348468619
