Autism risks include chemicals, deficiency of vitamin D, Omega-3 – mini-review April 2016

Chemicals, Nutrition, and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mini-Review

Frontiers in Neuroscience, doi: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00174
Takeo Fujiwara1’2*, Naho Morisaki1, Yukiko Honda1’3, Makiko Sampei 1 and Yukako Tani1’2’4
1 Department of Social Medicine, National Research institute for Child Health and Development, Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan,
2 Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan,
3 Global Cooperation institute for Sustainable Cities, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan,
4 Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

The rapid increase of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests that exposure to chemicals may impact the development of ASD. Therefore, we reviewed literature on the following chemicals, nutrient to investigate their association with ASD: (1) smoke/tobacco, (2) alcohol, (3) air pollution, (4) pesticides, (5) endocrine-disrupting chemicals, (6) heavy metals, (7) micronutrients, (8) fatty acid, and (9) parental obesity as a proxy of accumulation of specific chemicals or nutritional status.
Several chemical exposures such as

• air pollution (e.g., particular matter 2.5),
• pesticides,
• bisphenol A,
• phthalates,
• mercury, and
• nutrition deficiency such as folic acid, vitamin D, or fatty acid

may possibly be associated with an increased risk of ASD,
whereas other traditional risk factors such as

• smoking/tobacco,
• alcohol, or
• polychlorinated biphenyls

are less likely to be associated with ASD.
Further research is needed to accumulate evidence on the association between chemical exposure and nutrient deficiencies and ASD in various doses and populations.

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

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Note: many of the Autism risk factors mentioned in the abstract decrease levels of vitamin D

See also VitaminDWiki

• Autism rate in siblings reduced 4X by vitamin D: 5,000 IU during pregnancy, 1,000 IU to infants – Feb 2016
• Autism is associated with low vitamin D – meta-analysis Oct 2015
• Most Autism Risk factors are associated with low vitamin D - March 2014
• Autism decreased in 8 out of 10 children supplemented with vitamin D – April 2015
• 20 X more Parkinson's and 100X more Autism with GMO soy in China
  Article on this page did not seem to consider GMOs

Autism treated by Vitamin D: Dr. Cannell - video June 2013 includes many reasons why he believes Autism is related to Vitamin D

1. Both have strong inheritance features – Vitamin D about 60%
2. Both have gotten substantially worse in last 30 years
3. Vitamin D is known to be involved in brain development
4. All autistic children are VitD deficient, but not all children who are deficient are autistic: genes are involved
5. When giving vitamin D to cure children of rickets “mental dullness” decreases as well
6. Children with genes which give them too much (Williams Syndrome) have to reverse of autism – too sociable
7. Mothers having lots of fish (and thus more vitamin D) give birth to kids with less autistic symptoms
8. Both associated with weak bones
9. Both worse around the age of weaning
10. Autism is more common in rich families – more likely to apply sun screen and stay indoors
11. Autism increases with drugs which lower levels of vitamin D
12. Seizures are common with Autism - Vitamin D has been shown to reduce seizures
13. Fewer autistic symptoms (such as sleep problems) during summer: when child gets more vitamin D from the sun
14. Both worse with latitude
15. Both vary with Ultraviolet light
16. Both vary with time of year (more birth of autistics in March in Northern hemisphere)
17. 2X more urban autism – less UVB in urban environments
18. Both worse with pollution
19. Both worse with increased clouds and rain
20. Both worse with closely spaced pregnancies
21. Autistics have abnormal immune response – similar to that of vitamin D deficiency
22. Low levels of vitamin D in mother animals reduces brain function in offspring
23. Vitamin deficient rat pups have similar brain abnormalities to that of human autistic children
24. Autistic children get less vitamin D in their blood for the same amount of sun exposure
25. The 4 males/1 female ratio - Note estrogen increases vitamin D in the brain (testosterone does not)
26. Both worse in African Americans (A-A 2-3 increased autism rate)
27. Both worse in Dark-skinned immigrants in Europe

•    Note: All articles in Autism category 165 items