Dr. S asks, "What do you see as the role or roles of carbohydrate foods in the development of child mental disorders such as ADHD and autism?"
While refined carbohydrates and sugars are not shown to cause autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they can worsen symptoms in a number of ways. In the US, highly refined carbohydrates, sugars included, are heavily marketed to children. When eaten, refined carbohydrates (including unsweetened carbohydrates, unsweetened cornflakes is one example) convert to sugar in the digestive system, quickly enter the bloodstream, and are quickly cleared by the flood of insulin they promote. Brain cells, which cannot store carbohydrates for energy, feel the sudden loss of fuel, and the sugar high becomes a sugar crisis as children become inattentive and agitated due to the sudden drop in blood sugar.
A frequently overlooked way that refined carbohydrates contribute to symptoms of ADHD and Autism is by robbing the body’s supply of magnesium over time. Both Autism and ADHD share hyperactivity in common, and studies suggest magnesium deficiency exacerbates hyperactivity. Children deficient in magnesium have higher hyperactivity scores, and a combination of B6 and magnesium has been shown to reduce hyperactivity in ADHD children whose red blood cells test low in magnesium.
There is evidence to suggest the behavior and perceptions of autistic children benefit from robust cultures of probiotic bacteria in the intestine. These probiotic bacterial cultures are sensitive to diet. Refined carbohydrates and sugars upset the balance of the intestine, fueling the growth of pathogenic bacteria and yeast that crowd out desirable inhabitants.
Children with ADHD and Autism frequently have special metabolic needs that can only be addressed by a nutrient dense diet. Diluting the diet with empty calories, such as those provided by refined carbohydrates and sugars, denies a child access to nutrients needed to optimize brain function, and behavior by extension.
These are just a few considerations among the many studied, and they are not limited to children with ADHD and Autism. All children deserve a nutrient dense diet free of refined carbohydrates for optimal growth and development.
For more information, please join me with Dr. Robert Su as we explore pediatric nutrition and mental health in our podcast at the following link:
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Dr. Childers, I just listened to your interview with Dr. S. Thank you for a great show.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that there were a few times, thoughout the interview, where you alluded to proper absorption of nutrients. I'm wondering if you could elaborate on that for me. We have been eating a high fat, grass fed meat, WAPF style diet (without grains) for 5 years now. Still, our 14 year old daughter is listless, very underweight (despite eating more than me on my urging), and seemingly joyless. The food quality is there - her two sisters are athletic, muscular, and full of life, but there is something wrong. The doctors can't figure it out. She has no signs of puberty, she is short, and she is breaking my heart. I only want happiness for her. She is completely disinterested in life.
We've tried digestive aids, increasing her culture raw milk products, drastically increasing her fat, putting in more carbohydrates, removing those carbohydrates, increasing the amount of food she eats so that she's eating every couple hours (this keeps her weight on, but still, she is not growing and she is quite underweight). The doctors say "eating disorder" and that she must be throwing up when I'm not looking. She's not. I am not in denial, I will accept anything if it could help her, I just know that something is not right in her beautiful brain.
I was a vegetarian when I was pregnant with her and for the first few years of her life. I know, I will have that guilt forever.
Do you do telephone consultations? Could you point me in a direction? My husband is in his last year of his medical residency. He can have any tests done that you think would be worth exploring.
Thank you for your time.
Tara
Dear Tara, I am sorry to read what you and your family are going through. While malabsorption sounds like a key suspect, it may not tell the entire story. For example, casein and other food sensitivities, inborn errors of metabolism and other conditions can yield similar clinical pictures. As informed as you are you may have tried everything I would suggest; however, should you contact me for a telephone consultation you and I may be able to come up with new directions of inquiry. --Dr. Childers
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