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Healing the Gut

Posted May 18, 2011byTreat Autism

The microbiome is the environment of the digestive tract. According to the National Institute of Health, the microbiome is responsible for postnatal development. There are hundreds of trillions of microbes that live in the digestive tract. Some are harmful and some are helpful microbes called probiotcs or good bacteria. A balanced microbiome is associated with improved digestion, immunity and overall health.

Antibiotics, c-section, drugs, processed foods, infections and digestive issues all have the ability to impair the microbiome. It is imperative that gut repair include hundreds of different strains if good bacteria in the hundreds of billions. A good probiotic regime should include multiple strains and between 10 – 50 billion per dose. Probiotics should be rotated on a regular basis to repair the microbiome and push out harmful microbes like yeast and clostridia.

Healing the gut is a crucial part of biomedical treatment. The digestive tract makes 90% of serotonin and helps to produce and regulate dopamine – two neurotrasmitters that are imbalanced in children with autism and AD/HD. The gut is responsible for regulating inflammation and supporting healthy immune function. Your child should have 2 to 3 bowel movements daily that contain no mucous, blood or undigested stool.

The gut needs to be protected from environmental toxins like heavy metals. Heavy metals and other chemicals have the potential to damage enzymes that break down food, especially the enzymes in charge of digesting gluten and casein. This is why so many children with autism, AD/HD, learning disabilities, OCD and ODD benefit from the gluten free dairy free dietary intervention. Up to 80% of children with autism have digestive issues. The gut regulates inflammation and research is now showing that autism is an inflammatory issue. So, healing the gut can decrease inflammatory load and help children recover language, social and cognitive function.

This is a step by step guide educating parents on the biomedical approach to treating people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These treatment options have been studied and used clinical for years to help support the optimal health of children and adults with ASD.