Over the last decade, scientists have been scrambling to figure out what causes autism. Is it strictly genetic? Is there an environmental trigger? What would that trigger be? Today, it is widely believed that autism is genetic with an environmental trigger. However, scientists are still not completely sure what that trigger is. Some people say it is due to vaccines, while others have different ideas. One of the ideas that is being strongly supported right now is that a diet of processed foods may lead to a diagnosis of autism.
The Link Between Vaccines and Processed Foods
The other most common theory for an environmental trigger is that vaccines cause autism. Vaccines and processed foods actually both have something in common – they each contain traces of mercury. Many people, researchers included, believe there may be a link between mercury and autism. In vaccines, mercury is used in trace amounts as an additive. In certain foods, such as high-fructose corn syrup, there are trace amounts of mercury left over from the manufacturing process. Right now, the government claims that these levels of mercury are at levels safe for human consumption. However, what happens if someone consumes multiple processed foods in a day? The level of their mercury intake rises. Is this level still safe? Additionally, what if the trace amounts of mercury that are safe for some people, are not safe levels for those with autism? Or, what if those levels, after more extensive research, are found to not be safe for human consumption, and the government has made a mistake? Even though a poison may not be devastating in small amounts, wouldn’t it be better to simply not consume that poison at all?
Seeing the Difference
This is not just an abstract theory, the difference can be seen among families who have autistic children. Families who focus on all-natural, gluten-free organic foods have less of a risk of having one of their children be diagnosed with autism. In fact, they are at risk for less health issues, overall. Some parents even claim they were able to cure their children of autism by switching to an all-natural, organic diet. Medical research supports this fact, with a study by the University of Florida recommending that autistic children be placed on a gluten-free and casein-free diet. So many parents have seen their children improve drastically by cutting processed foods from their diet.
Looking at the Numbers
Looking at the rapid increase from 3 per 10,000 children in the 1970s, to 30 per 10,000 children in the 1990s is a ten fold increase. We are currently at 1 – 88 in the united states and while it is extremely important to find out the exact cause of Autism we should also be coming down on the FDA for allowing a increase in dyes, processing to improve shelf life, fillers, sweetener substitutes, and so much more. Did you know that the FDA has allowed companies to greatly increase the amount of fiber needed in foods to allow a longer shelf life over the years. Think about that.. a loaf of bread use to last maybe a week if you were lucky. Now days you can exceed that by quite a bit with companies trying to increase those numbers through preservatives. It is hard to imagine a child can properly develop with all the toxins we consume just through what is allowed to be put in grocery stores.
If you look at the statistics over the past 30-50 years, you will notice that there has been a steady increase in the amount of processed food that consumers have been eating. In this same time period, there has also been a substantial increase in the cases of autism that have been diagnosed. Could these trends be related? Scientists are still investigating this, but many well-known doctors are already coming out in support of this theory. Dr. James Ryan Fenn, a Tallahassee, Florida chiropractor who has a son that suffers from autism, strongly believes there is a link between both processed foods and vaccines and autism. Dr. Fenn spends much of his time educating patients about how they can avoid many various medical issues, autism included, by eating a healthy diet and doing other simple things to take care of their body.
Make a Decision
If you have a loved one who suffers from autism, you may want to consider trying to make diet changes to see if it improves their condition. You may be surprised by the amazing results you will see after making just a few simple diet changes. If you are considering conceiving a child simple steps like reducing the processed foods you consume during pregnancy may help decrease any chances birth defects, disorders, or mental health issues. Start saying no to processed food today and approach a raw food & all natural diet!
Sources:
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Diet – University of Florida – http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1258
Autism and Processed Foods – Discovery Health – http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/autism/gfcf-diet1.htm
Could Processed Food be Contributing to the Increase in Autism – Autisable – http://www.autisable.com/724655146/could-processed-food-be-contributing-to-the-increase-in-autism/
National Center for Biotechnology Information - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1497666/pdf/15504445.pdf
I often see people stair at people whom children have autism it is not their fault I heard in the news that Europe banned colored foods like cheetos and many others that is suppose to cause Autism. So all I can say is we still don’t know why kids are born this way. We should accept it and god wanted them that way.
It’s amazing what you can discover just by reading from a website.I really never knew that autism was a communication disorder.
Wow.
My son was dx w/autism when he was 5yo. He is now almost 11 and he is doing very good. He is now very verbal. The more knowledge for others that deal with these children the better they understand them.
Great information!