A great deal of evidence has been coming out in recent years that certain gut infections, such as clostridium species and candida, maybe producing toxins that can either cause or aggravate certain symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, ADD, and ADHD.
Why do these “bad bugs” cause so many problems? Certain pathogenic gut flora such as Clostridium difficile and Candida albicans produce harmful toxins that can get into your child’s bloodstream and cause all kinds of neurological and inflammatory damage. Toxins released by clostridia, in particular, can damage certain signaling proteins in the brain, leading to changes in behavior and brain development.
In addition, harmful gut bacteria, and yeast are often triggered by digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, and bloating. Issues with digestion are common in kids with autism and can cause a great deal of discomfort and stress.
Antifungals and Antibiotics
Many people who find out that their child has one of these harmful gut infections may try antibiotics or antifungal therapies such as vancomycin and nystatin to clear out the bad bugs. Often times this will result in a brief period of improvement, followed by a relapse of symptoms.
So why does this happen? The problem is that once the antibiotic or antifungal medication clears out pathogenic bugs from the intestine, the empty “real estate” that remains can be re-populated by the same pathogens that were causing issues in the first place. This can often be prevented by the introduction and co-treatment with probiotics and dietary changes to help heal the damaged intestinal lining.
Achieving Overall Gut Health
Once pathogens such as clostridium and candida have been removed, either by pharmaceutical antimicrobials or by antibacterial and antifungal herbs, a long-term course of probiotics can help drive populations of good bacteria up while preventing a relapse of the bad. Once good bacteria are introduced, certain changes in diet, such as reducing pesticide and herbicide exposure by eating organic fruits and vegetables, can help your child’s gut biome continue to thrive.
Healing a “Leaky Gut”
Having a healthy gut means both repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria probiotics and healing and sealing the gut lining. Inflammation in the intestines, whether caused by bad bacteria and yeast or by immune issues such as food allergies can lead to a condition called intestinal hyperpermeability, or “leaky gut syndrome.” In a leaky gut, a damaged intestinal lining is unable to form a complete seal between the foods the gut is digesting and the bloodstream. This allows tiny molecules of incompletely broken down nutrients to enter the blood, which can trigger even more inflammation and allergies.
There are a lot of ways we can help heal and seal the gut in kids with autism. Specific nutrients nourish the cells that line the interior of the intestines, while others can damage cells and encourage more inflammation in the gut. In addition, certain GI insults such as artificial preservatives, heavy metals, food allergens, pesticides, and herbicides can lead to increased permeability with widespread negative effects. Getting the right foods in and getting the wrong foods and environmental toxins out can have huge impacts on the health and function of the gut.
Through holistic interventions, many children and adolescents with autism and other neurological and inflammatory issues have experienced huge improvements in concentration, sleep, mood, digestive function, and overall wellbeing.