Nutritional Epigenetics Education Improves Diet and Attitude in Parents of Children with Autism and ADHD

Main summary

In a recent post published by PubMedAmerican scientists led by Dr. Dufault of the Food Ingredients and Health Research Institute, reported the results of a clinical trial in which parents who received education on nutritional epigenetics significantly reduced their consumption of ultra-processed foods while increasing their intake of whole foods and/or organic foods.

The educational intervention used a curriculum focused on the constructs of the nutritional epigenetics model that explains how autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can develop from excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods leads to exposure to heavy metals and dietary deficits that create mineral imbalances such as zinc and calcium losses. Inadequate zinc stores can alter the function of the metal transporter gene metallothionein (MT), which prevents the elimination of heavy metals found in ultra-processed foods.

Bioaccumulation of mercury and/or lead is common in children with autism and ADHD who are often zinc deficient.

Mercury, lead, and other heavy metals are known to suppress the paraoxonase (PON1) gene. The body needs paraoxonase to detoxify residues of neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides that the United States Department of Agriculture routinely finds in the food supply. Children with autism and ADHD are more susceptible to the harmful effects of exposure to organophosphate pesticides.

Parents who received nutritional epigenetics education learned how to reduce their children’s dietary exposure to heavy metals and organophosphate pesticide residues.

Parents learned to read food ingredient labels and changed their diet to avoid purchasing foods with permitted residues of heavy metals and pesticides. By learning how specific food ingredients contribute to heavy metal exposure, impact nutrient status, and/or genetic behavior, parents gained the knowledge they needed to feed themselves and their children a healthier diet. By the end of the educational intervention, parents had changed their minds about their ability to control their children’s behavior through diet.

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Children behave better when they feel better

Because the severity of autism and ADHD symptoms directly correlates with levels of heavy metals in the blood, children with less exposure to heavy metals show improvements in behavior and cognition. Additionally, because heavy metals, in single or multimetallic combination, create conditions for gut dysbiosis, dietary improvements can reduce inflammation and improve gut health.

Reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods can alleviate symptoms associated with gut dysbiosis, which is often a comorbid condition found in children with autism and ADHD.

Autism and ADHD can be prevented

Autism and ADHD are preventable, but the prevalence of these neurodevelopmental disorders will continue to increase in the United States until changes are made to reduce heavy metal residues allowed in the ultra-processed food supply. The US Congress released two reports in 2021 on the problem of heavy metals in baby foods.

The first report published on February 4, 2021 revealed that baby foods are contaminated with dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury(i).

The second report, published on September 29, 2021, confirmed that new disclosures from manufacturers show dangerous levels of heavy metals in even more baby foods(ii).

References:

(i) https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2021-02-04%20ECP%20Baby%20Food%20Staff%20Report.pdf

(ii) https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/ECP%20Second%20Baby%20Food%20Report%209.29.21%20FINAL.pdf

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Attribution/Source(s):

This peer-reviewed article related to our Nutrition and Healthy Foods section was selected for publication by Disabled World editors because of its likely interest to our readers in the disability community. Although content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article “Education in nutritional epigenetics improves diet and attitude in parents of children with autism and ADHD” It was originally written by the Food Ingredients and Health Research Institute and published by Disabled-World.com on 02/09/2024. If you require further information or clarification, you can contact the Health and Food Ingredients Research Institute at foodingredient.info. Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

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Cite this page (APA): Research Institute on Food Ingredients and Health. (2024, February 9). Education on nutritional epigenetics improves diet and attitude in parents of children with autism and ADHD. Disabled world. Retrieved February 11, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/fitness/nutrition/paraoxonase.php

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