The theory revolves around a combination of mineral deficiencies (calcium, iron and zinc) that occur in a large percentage of pregnant women in their last trimester and a number of oxidative stresses that occur before, during or after birth. In this theory the child is born with a deficiency of these minerals secondary to the mother’s deficiencies which predisposes the child to stress induced injuries. When any number of different stresses occur either singly or in combination with each other a series of synergistic events occur resulting in damage to those parts of the brain that involve the brain’s speech center and memory pathways. These injuries could include such things as high fevers, birth trauma, infections, vaccines, lack of oxygen and even psychological stresses.

As an example, fever is a result of inflammation and immune system activation. Fever and inflammation oxidize certain zinc binding proteins that are involved with detoxification processes throughout the body. As these proteins are oxidized and even destroyed, zinc is released into various tissues.

A special zinc binding protein found in the brain called metallothionin-3 is oxidized by the inflammatory processes initiated by the fever. As this zinc binding protein is oxidized, zinc is released from its binding sites in high quantities and this damages the nearby brain cells. Due to the release of zinc into the brain from the damaged metallothionin-3 during an infectious process, certain brain cell receptors (NMDA receptors) are injured by the zinc which allows calcium to enter the neurons. An increase in intracellular calcium damages and cripples the nerve cell’s energy producing mitochondria. These crippled neurons then no longer function well and become over excitable whenever they are asked to perform tasks. These changes may well be the reason for the hyperactive or even bizarre behavior seen in these autistic children.

Large amounts of zinc are also damaging as they are excreted through the pancreas. The pancreas is involved with proper digestion and assimilation of your food and when it malfunctions the excretion of bicarbonate and digestive enzymes in the digestive tract becomes less than normal. This zinc induced pancreatic damage and subsequent decline in the amount of secretions results in a permanent disturbance in digestion. These induced changes in digestion are mild and easily misdiagnosed by physicians but have far reaching consequences. With the acute oxidative stress incident, much zinc is lost from the body and an overall zinc deficiency gets even worse than it was. Since zinc is necessary for normal membrane function and stability a zinc deficiency decreases the strength and integrity of the different epithelial barriers of the body. The epithelium is the covering of internal and external surfaces of the body including the lining of your lungs, intestine and blood vessels as well as your outer skin.

Bicarbonate is an anti-acid and is normally used to decrease the acidity of the stomach juices as they enter the intestine. With the pancreas being damaged, bicarbonate is not released, the stomach acids are not neutralized and are then carried through the intestine injuring its delicate inner linings. This acid induced injury makes the intestine more porous and inflamed. These children often suffer excruciating abdominal cramps due to the acids and inflammatory processes going on.

The decreased secretion of pancreatic enzymes results in incomplete digestion of foods and these contribute to further intestinal wall injury and the promotion of food allergies. Food allergies develop when food particles are absorbed through porous intestinal walls and are then acted on by the immune system. A healthy digestive system usually prevents the development of food allergies since foods are normally broken down into the basic building blocks of fats, carbohydrates and amino acids before absorption, These simple substances do not usually cause allergies.

The combination of the initial oxidative stress event and the subsequent malabsorption and inflammation of the inner intestinal lining damages the intestine’s immune defenses.

As part of the original inflammatory injury, certain white blood cells called T-cells are stimulated to produce antibodies against the offending agents. Due to the mineral deficiencies that are present, T-cells malfunction and produce antibodies to a number of different substances such as foods and even to components of the person’s own body (autoimmunity), Elimination of food allergies especially wheat is often necessary. Correction of the autoimmune disorder is more difficult but usually improves with certain fats, antioxidants, zinc and if all other factors are corrected.

Even after the initial oxidative stress and the acute disease (fever/infection) seems to be over and the child has recovered, the intestine continues to be irritated from the lack of pancreatic secretions, malnutrition, zinc deficiencies, food allergies and autoimmunity. Bacteria and yeast cell walls called endotoxins are absorbed into the body through the “leaky bowel” The intestine continues to absorb the endotoxin poison in excess of normal because of these different factors continuing to operate and the child continues to suffer from the influx of poisons into the body. This combination of abnormalities is further aggravated by excess sugars and sweets in the diet such as apple juice used in nursing bottles. All of these factors work together to result in an overgrowth of intestinal yeast especially when antibiotics for common allergy induced ear, throat and sinus infections are given.

As long as these poisons are allowed to continue coming into the body they continue to irritate and damage the pancreas, intestine and brain which makes these synergistic processes perpetual. Treatment needed to stop these continuous self propagating disease processes revolves around identification of the offending bacteria and yeast, food allergies and other poisonous substances such as lead, mercury, and organic pollutants and their elimination from the diet and body.

Another fact of great interest is that intestinal endotoxins bind to the fats contained in the blood. These fats inactivate the endotoxins and protect the body from their harmful effects. Children with fat and/or protein deficiencies are much more susceptible to the harmful effects of

endotoxin and conversely if a child is well fed they are much more resistant. As the zinc is depleted from the child’s body in response to these stresses, loss of appitite sets in. The child stops eating well, begins to fail to thrive and develops a lower blood fat content than normal. The normal amounts of fat are no longer in the blood and therefor can not detoxify the endotoxins entering the body from the intestinal lumen in a normal fashion. The child’s appetite continues to be poor and they suffer from fat and protein deficiencies, all of which then propagate the disease process. Both fats and proteins are essential for not only growth and development of the brain but also for detoxification of poisons. Without these the child becomes sensitive to chemicals and allergic to a variety of foods and inhalants

Myelin is the fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerve cells from losing their electrical charges as they carry out their jobs of sending electrical signals to various parts of the brain. When this protective layer is lost or damaged by the endotoxins, electrons escape from the nerves. Seizures as well as hyperactivity may occur as a result of this type of endotoxin induced electrical ‘shorting out’. Since many of these children have uncontrollable seizures as well as their speech and learning disabilities, a treatment that treats all of the above described features of the disease process is needed.

The proposed new treatment method utilizes a combination of bowel sterilization, allergy avoidance and a diet that is high in fat, and protein, but low in sodium, simple sugars, fruit juice, acid containing foods like tomato sauces, pineapple, and fruit, food additives, preservatives and pesticides with additional supplements of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, lactobacilli (friendly bacteria) and pancreatic enzyme supplements. Anti-oxidants are helpful to help reverse some of the damage done to the proteins present in the brain, pancreas, intestine and other tissues. Drugs in general should be avoided since the child can not detoxify foreign chemicals well due to the oxidative stress injuries that have crippled their body’s detoxification pathways.

The high fat diet helps correct the abnormalities in the myelin sheaths which will in most cases stop or even cure the seizure problems. An increased fat intake needs to be coupled with antioxidants such as vitamin E to prevent a process called lipid peroxidation (rancidity). If these fats become rancid before or after eating, they may further inflame the delicate but damaged intestine’s walls contributing to that problem and will affect the brain cell membranes as well.

After all of these processes and deficiencies are corrected and the child has been on this special diet for a few months, further treatments may be useful to enhance further repair of the damaged tissues. Pulsed electromagnetic field and hyperbaric oxygen treatments are showing promising results for further enhancing the child’s recovery.

This new theory also predicts a new way of preventing these various learning disorders. Ideally a woman who is considering having a baby should see her doctor and have vitamin and mineral tests performed. The abnormalities found would then be corrected prior to conception by changing her diet such as avoiding fish and taking appropriate supplements.. During pregnancy after every two months the minerals would be checked again and any deficiencies found would be immediately treated since zinc, iron, and calcium levels fall as pregnancy progresses and zinc deficiencies are associated with fetal malformations. At birth the cord blood would be analyzed for these minerals and the baby would have any abnormalities corrected. Since human breast milk contains much more bioavailable trace elements of iron and zinc than either cow’s milk or soy derived formulas, breast feeding should be encouraged while continuing the prohibition against eating fish since fish is the source of more toxic metals and organic pollutants than other foods. Heavy metals prevent the absorption of zinc and sensitize the child’s body to the harmful effects of the intestinal endotoxins and these metals move freely from the mother to the baby either through the placenta or breast milk. Subsequently the child would be checked every three months to insure optimum amounts of these so very important minerals. These tests would if done insure optimum development and if this theory is true, would prevent the development of most cases of autism. Since much of this testing is impractical, prenatel vitamins may need to have the amount of zinc and other minerals adjusted from where they currently are. Zinc supplements may need to increase from 15 mg/day to 35 to 50 milligrams per day.

This new theory explains most of the myriad abnormalities that occur in autistic children. By understanding the mechanisms involved, physicians may well be able to prevent, diagnose and treat their various problems more effectively.

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